The Stiltskin Chronicles: Dark Love
by MasterQuill7
Summary: This is a retelling of the entire series, making it Rumbelle centric. I've changed some things around, and added a few elements to fill in the blanks. This series will contain original characters that will have Disney counterparts and will introduce Disney characters that haven't appeared on the show yet, and true to the show, I have added my own twist to the stories.
1. Skin Deep

Belle gazed down at the giant map on the large wooden table; the map the charted the battle plans he father and Gaston had recently come up with in order to counter the ogre threat that plagued the villagers below them. So many soldiers had lost their lives; Ogres were less common than centuries before, but once in a while you had a new group reappear from the shadows and wreak havoc in an attempt to restore ogres to their former glory. Her father was a great warrior, but based on his and Gaston's plan to attack the ogres' camp from the west side by the river with all kinds of slick land and rocks around, even she knew that this would cause more loss of life, but she did not dare object. She feared ridicule from her father and, like always, from Gaston. According to them, women had no place on the battlefield; Gaston had objected to her even being in the war room, but she persuaded her father by telling him she just wanted to observe, which was only half true. She wanted to learn most of all; deep down she felt that learning something like this would be very important one day, even though, deep down, she hoped she would never have to use it.

But, with Gaston as her husband, she won't get the chance anyway; so why was she even here? Gaston thought a woman's place was at home, cooking for him, and giving him sons to march into battle one day. She hated the idea, and felt even more sickened at thought of her destiny being out of her control. The only person she would be willing to give sons to was the man she truly loved; her own prince, who she couldn't live without, the one person, who could love her despite all her supposed faults as woman not wanting to be part of the status quo. In this moment, she could only think of her mother, the woman who disappeared when she was so young, whom Belle continued to seek for guidance even when she was no longer around; what would she think of her daughter now? Would she be disappointed or proud? Ashamed or honored? Belle wondered…..

"Belle…. Belle," called Maurice.

Belle snapped out of her musings; based on his tone, her father had been calling her for some time.

"Yes."

"No word, yet… from the Dark One?"

"No, Papa. Not yet," she said solemnly.

Ah yes, the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin, the legend himself. She had forgotten that her father had called upon his help. Belle could only read stories about his single handed victory in the Ogre's War centuries ago, but she never had the displeasure of meeting the man, whose reputation was not in the best condition. Never the less, her family sought his help, and promised to pay him handsomely for it. Suddenly, one of her father's knights came bursting through the throne room doors. With a letter in hand, he quickly approached Maurice.

"Sir, Avonlea has fallen."

"My gods," said Maurice with a defeated sigh.

Belle's heart began to beat wildly in her chest; another village destroyed, and yet they were no closer to stopping the giant brutes than they were when the first village fell three years ago.

"If only he had come," said Gaston.

"Yes, if only he had come….. BUT HE DIDN'T, DID HE?! OGRES ARE NOT MEN!" Maurice yelled at the stunned knight.

He turned and walked over to his throne, which he plopped down in it; Gaston paced beside him, his clutching the hilt of his rather large sword. Belle marched over to her defeated looking father and kneeled down beside him. She placed her hand on his and looked straight into his eyes; with a confident voice, she said:

"He could be on his way, Papa….. right now."

"It's too late, my girl, it's just… too late," he said with no hope left in his voice.

Belle rested her head on his arm, knowing he was right, it was too late Avonlea was not too far away; this castle would be the next haven they would attempt to conquer, and with no peep from Rumplestiltskin, their last hope, things did look pretty grim; then BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. A pounding at the door; Belle thought it could only be one person. After all, ogres were much too big for the castle hallways, nor would they bother knocking. Maurice stood up, Belle with him.

"It's him, it must be him," said Belle, as she walked with her father towards the large doors.

"How did he get past the walls?" asked Maurice.

"Magic," whispered Belle.

"Open it!" commanded Maurice, waving them to remove the log that was blocking the doors from the inside.

The servants opened the doors, which creaked as they swung, but no one was on the other side; just an empty hallway. Belle looked at the empty hallway curiously.

"Well that was a bit of a letdown," said a voice behind them.

They all turned around to see Rumplestiltskin sitting on Maurice's throne. He was just sitting there, smiling, happy as he could be with all this darkness and fear around him; or maybe that was where he was most comfortable. Either way, Belle was already intrigued by him, and even with all the green skin, snake like eyes, long nails, and crumpled hair she had to admit that he looked…. handsome, but she wasn't seeing the beast that he was, she was seeing something else she could explain, like a ghost of an image, a normal man, if he ever was a man, and the man giggling like a taunting child before them was putting on a show or wearing a mask.

"You sent me a message…."

Gaston drew his sword while slowly approaching him; he pointed the huge blade directly at the imp, ready to kill in a heartbeat.

"Something about….. 'Help! Help! We're dying! Can you save us?!" he said playfully, flashing that evil grin like he enjoyed as much as a kid in a candy hut.

Gaston was holding his sword very close now; the only thing Belle ever admired about Gaston was his bravery. Everyone in the Enchanted Forest knew about Rumplestiltskin; knew how ruthless and unsympathetic he was, and how he would have no more trouble killing you then he would a common house fly, and yet Gaston was not afraid of him. In this moment, he could be very foolish or very brave; Belle hoped it was the latter.

"The answer is….. of course I can," said Rumplestiltskin as he swatted away Gaston's sword, like it wasn't even close to being a threat to him.

Not many can do that, especially Gaston, and Belle found herself even more intrigued by this magic man, or whatever he was. Suddenly the Dark One's eyes met hers; a chill ran up her spine, but not necessarily in a bad way. It was though in this moment, something important had just happened; it was the feeling, the knowledge that somehow, this imp would change her life forever. The scary things was that she didn't know how.

"Yes, I can protect your pathetic little town, BUT… it will cost you a pretty price," he said.

"We sent you the promise of gold," said Maurice sternly.

"Ah, see here's the problem….." he leaned in closer to whisper into Maurice's ear.

"I make gold… no, I only make deals for things I can use, things I don't already have. Besides, gold is such a trivial thing. You are a King, you can obtain gold anytime you want. No, what my deals require is something a little more special, something much closer to your heart. That is the price for the thousands of lives you are asking me to save."

"What do you want?" asked Maurice through gritted teeth.

"My price is her," he said, as he pointed directly at Belle; she couldn't hide the look of shock on her face.

She was mildly disgusted that this stranger, this monster, could think of her as some kind of token or object to be traded off.

"She is engaged…. To me," said Gaston, which prompted Belle to roll her eyes.

Rumplestiltskin let out a high pitched giggle, like a little school boy.

"I wasn't asking if she was engaged, I'm not looking for love of any sort… but I am in dire need of a caretaker for my rather large estate."

Maurice huffed, and his blood began to boil. To think this beast could waltz in here and demand his daughter; absolutely not.

"Get out. LEAVE!" screamed Maurice.

Rumplestiltskin smirked, and surprisingly, did as he was told. Gaston put his arm across Belle protectively, and pushed her out the way. She could tell he didn't want the imp anywhere near her.

"As you wish," he said quietly.

Belle watched him walk to the door; a thousand thoughts ran through her brain at once. This was their last chance, their only option. Her family, her friends, the villagers, all of them will die if the Dark One doesn't help. He wants her, that's all he wants is her; such a simple request, but she'll never see her father again, but she'll be saving the lives of thousands. The ogres must be stopped.

"No, wait," she said.

The imp stopped, and even though his back was facing her, Belle could swear he was smiling, like he knew she would go with him. Belle gently removed Gaston's arm and approached the Dark One, trying to appear brave, but deep inside she had never been more terrified. With a deep breath, she said:

"I will go with you."

Rumple let out another high pitched laugh and clapped his hands together excitedly.

"No!"

"I forbid it!" yelled Gaston.

Belle became annoyed by Gaston's sudden outburst, like he was in charge of her; like he was her King. She turned violently around and retorted with equal intensity:

"No one decides my fate but me. I shall go."

"It's forever, dearie."

"My family, my friends, the villagers…. they will all live?"

"You have my word."

"Then you have mine. I will go with you forever."

"Deal," said Rumple before letting out another creepy high pitched giggle.

"Belle…. Belle, you cannot do this. Belle, please, you cannot go with this… beast," said Maurice, as he shot the imp a defying look.

"Aw, that hurt….. that hurt me right here….. where my heart used to be," said Rumple before letting out yet another high pitched giggle, laughing at his own twisted sense of humor.

Belle placed a gentle hand on her father's arm.

"Father….. Gaston…. It's been decided…"

Rumple moved closer until he was right behind her, smiling wide, and showing off his decaying teeth.

"You know… she's right. The deal…. is struck."

Belle looked around at all the sad faces in the room. She found her own wyes beginning to well up, as she took one last look at her loved ones, knowing that she would never see them again.

"Oh. Congratulations on your little war," said Rumplestiltskin happily before putting his hand on the small of her back and leading her out of the throne room.

He didn't talk at all on their way out of the castle, but then again, Belle was thankful for it. She wasn't in the mood to talk at the moment. Rumple waved his hand, and the front castle doors flew open; it had begun to rain, and as they stepped out, she watched him look up at the sky.

"Do you have a cloak?" he asked.

"No."

Rumple snapped his fingers, and Belle found herself encased in a cloud of smoke. Her heart began to beat so fast it felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. The smoke cleared, and she let out a sigh of relief that she seemed to be alright, but a beautiful woodland green cloak was now draped over her; she reached back and pulled the hood over her head. A carriage pulled by four black work horses

"Thank you, it's beautiful."

Rumplestiltskin seemed to have not heard her, instead, he whistled into the air, as if he were calling some or something. There was another cloud of smoke, and a carriage pulled by four black work horses appeared before them. He pulled up his hood, and walked over to the carriage. He turned to look at her when Belle hesitated to follow; we waved her to come closer, and she slowly did so. He held out his hand for her, she took it, and he helped her into the carriage. He hit the side door, and they started to move. Belle took one last glance at the castle she had called her home since her birth, as it faded into the trees, Belle let the tears roll down her cheeks, but she did not dare let Rumplestiltskin see them.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Home," he said coldly.

Belle tried to think of something to keep the conversation light. They seemed to have been riding for hours.

"Do you have a family?"

"If I had a family I wouldn't need you, would I?"

"Right…. Where is your home?" she asked.

The imp pointed outside of the carriage:

"See those mountains… my castle is just on the other side."

So they didn't have too far to go; good. Belle just wanted to curl up in a ball, alone.

They finally reached the enormous castle, surrounded by mountains; Belle knew the winters were going to be harsh here. The carriage stopped in front of the castle doors; Rumple helped her out again. At least he was a gentleman, she thought. The doors opened as they approached; inside, was elegant, beautiful, but dusty. She could see why Rumplestiltskin needed a maid so bad. She hung her cloak on the rack by the door, and followed him into the next room, which seemed to be the dining area. A large wooden table sat in the middle surrounded by artifacts she would probably never understand.

"Where are we going now?" she asked after realizing that they weren't stopping.

"Let's call it, your room. I'm tired."

A thought popped into Belle's head, she could sneak away while he was sleeping, and go back to her family.

"And don't think about escaping. I don't tolerate deal breakers. If you leave, our deal is off….. your family, your friends, and those poor villagers will die. Understand?"

"Yes," said Belle with utter disappointment.

She was trapped, there was no way around it; her life was over.

They descended the winding staircase that led into a dark and damp area. At the foot of the stairs was a door; Rumple waved his hand, and the door opened. He stood there grinning at her; Belle peered inside and was immediately disgusted.

"My room?!"

"Well it sounds a lot nicer than dungeon," he said before pushing her in and closing the door.

Belle tried her hardest to push the door open, but it was locked.

"Hey, you're not just going to leave me here…. Hello?!"

It was useless; all she could hear was the imp's laughter, as he walked away. Belle looked around the dark damp cell, and the full weight of the world and her choice seemed to have collapsed on her. She threw herself on the bed, and just cried; with no hope of freedom, no hope of a happy ending, she just cried, her voice drowned out by the claps of thunder outside.


	2. Prince of Thieves

Belle lie in bed, to depressed to move any part of her body; all she could think about was her father, and how much she missed him. Her head rested against the leaky walls; her eyes red and puffy, tears tracks dry on her face. She listened to the drops of water from the damp ceiling above, bit the wooden pale below. TAP, TAP, TAP; that constant sound that filled her mind and drowned her thoughts, making those droplets the only thing about this hellish situation she was in better, because those relentless drops took her mind off everything else.

Rumple sat in his trophy room, spinning the wheel, trying to forget; trying to forget about his father, the pain he caused his son, the people he killed, the torment he caused, Milah. Anything that made him soft or vulnerable, he buried them deep inside; he could not torture himself with guilt over these things, because they made him weak. These the same emotions are what brought back the spinner coward that he once was so long ago; and he would die before he became that man again, better to be feared than to fear. In these lonely times he only had one strength, Bae, his boy, the only person he still loved more than himself. He was so close to getting to that world, just a few more years, he knew he had to be patient; he waited this long, he could wait a bit longer. Rumple held the wheel still and breathed deeply, closing his eyes, letting the suppressed emotions suppress themselves further. That was enough spinning for today; he was feeling a bit thirsty anyway. He snapped his fingers and a tea set appeared on a tray next to the door. He walked over and sat down at the head of the table; he waved his hand, as of to open a door.

The door to Belle's cell swung open; Belle looked up, but there was no one on the other side. Belle slowly stood to feet, studying the empty door way; she moved closer and closer as if she were testing the waters. When she finally realized that she was safe, she took as an invitation from Rumplestiltskin to find him. She climbed the staircase to go find him and see what he wanted.

Rumple sat there, waiting, with his chin resting on his folded hands; his glued to door leading to the dungeons. He sat upright, as it creaked open, and Belle came staggering in.

"Bring the tea set over," he said, as he nodded to the waiting tea set by the door.

He watched her look at it curiously, as if something were strange about it; she looked back up at him with a confused look.

"There's no tea in-"

She looked down again; Rumple couldn't help but hide his showy smile when she noticed steam suddenly erupting from the spout of the pot. She picked up the tray and carried it over to the table.

"You will serve me my meals and you will clean the dark castle;" he began to list off her duties.

"Yes."

"You will dust my collection and launder my clothing…."

"Got it," she said, as she poured him a cup of tea.

Rumple could see as plain as day how tense she was, and he felt a joke was in order.

"Oh and you will skin the children I hunt for their pelts," he said happily.

Belle gasped, and dropped the cup of tea; she stood there frozen in place, unable to register what he had just said. She watched him there, flashing that evil grin.

"That one was a quip….. not serious….. laugh, girl."

Belle let out a timid yet uncomfortable laugh; Rumple just stared at her.

"Well I thought it was funny," he said.

Belle kneeled down to pick up the teacup, which had rolled under the table. She felt an overwhelming sense of dread; the cup was chipped, and the Dark One, surely, would not stand for this. Rumple watched her curiously.

"Oh no, it's…. it's chipped. I'm sorry," she said, as she held it up.

Rumple continued to look at her with that same puzzled expression.

"You can hardly see it," she added.

"Oh well, it's just a cup," he said to Belle's surprise.

Belle breathed a sigh of relief; this definitely new for her in the very short time she'd been here. She never expected someone like him, who was known for his temper to see the true value in such things. She picked up another tea cup, poured the tea, before placing it in front of Rumplestiltskin. She stood there, watching him drink for a few moments; he looked at her as if wondering why she was still standing there.

"That will be all. You can carry out the rest of your duties," he said, waving her off.

Belle nodded and left to explore the castle a bit before cleaning.

A few weeks had passed, and Belle was slowly, but surely settling in to her duties, and there were a lot of them. The castle looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years, and that was a strong possibility. Each night she found herself crying herself to sleep. Even though she was beginning to settle in, she could only think of her friends and family left behind at her castle. They were always the last image she saw before misery exhausted her enough.

On this particular night, she was crying harder and louder than ever before, as the images of her former life haunted her to no end. Today was her father's birthday, and she loathed the idea of being here instead of celebrating with him.

Rumplestiltskin had had it; the constant crying was taking its toll. He slammed his book of spells closed, then stormed down to the dungeons. He waved his hand to open the door, and Belle immediately stopped her cries.

"You know, when you so eagerly agreed to come and work for me, I didn't think you'd miss your family quite this much."

"I made my sacrifice for them, of course I miss them, YOU BEAST," she said.

"Yes, yes, but the crying must stop. Night after night…. It's getting very difficult for me to spin, I mean; I do my best thinking then."

Belle just glared at him; here she was, in pain, missing her family to no end, and all he was worried about was her crying disturbing him?

Rumple felt a hint of guilt for her misery, but he dared not let her see it. He outstretched his hand:

"Here…."

A cloud of smoke wrapped around his hand and pillow appeared in his palm.

"Will this help?"

"For me?"

"Yes. Not quite so beastly now, am I?" he threw the pillow at her, she was insufferable, but for some twisted reason, he liked her, even though, so far, he found her to be more of a pain in the ass. He turned on his heel, and headed for the door.

"Thank you. Maybe now I can get some real sleep," she added.

Rumple stopped and walked back over.

"Oh, it's not to help you sleep, dearie. It's to muffle the cries SO I CAN GET BACK TO WORK!" he yelled. Anything to keep the mask of the monster intact.

CRASH. The sound of glass breaking could be heard upstairs. Belle watched Rumple's face turn to one of dread. He walked briskly out the cell; Belle followed.

Rumple watched a hooded man walk across the trophy room and pick one of the wands sitting on its mantle. He couldn't believe someone would dare to steal from him; this hooded stranger had already signed his death warrant.

"Are you sure you want to do this, dearie?"

"Pretty sure," said the stranger as he pulled off his hood.

"If you don't know how to use that wand, it can do nasty things to you," said Rumple.

Belle looked on at the two men's interactions; she could tell a storm was brewing, and very soon they would be biting each other's heads off.

"Well I'll stick with what I know works, do you know what this arrow can do to you?" he taunted as he pulled an arrow from his quiver and drew it in his bow.

Rumple knew this would be easier than he ever thought; this stranger was already incredibly arrogant and over confident. This would be a breeze; he would kill this stranger then finally get back to his work. To make it a bit more amusing, Rumple thought he would toy with him a little.

"Has to hit me first," he said, before disappearing and reappearing on the other side of the room.

Belle hardly blinked before Rumple was bouncing about the room like playful child. He finally stopped, just below the window, smirking at him; he stood there, very still with his arms folded in front of him.

"That shouldn't be a problem. An arrow fired from this bow never misses its target. Don't you just love magic?!" said the stranger, as he grinned from ear to ear.

He fired; the arrow wisped past Belle and threatened to hit Rumple squarely in the chest. Just before it did Rumple disappeared again and this time reappeared in front of Belle. Rumple watched the arrow veer around and head straight for him. He disappeared again, but he didn't give the arrow enough room to turn itself, and like it was happening in slow motion, he saw the arrow move closer and closer to Belle. Without thinking, he reappeared in front of her, and it him squarely in the chest; Rumple collapsed to the ground, clutching the arrow. Belle couldn't believe what had just transpired; it all happened so fast. Did he really just save her life, by taking an arrow for her? This man, the most selfish man in the enchanted forest? The one who supposedly never gave a damn about anyone? She noticed the change is breathing pattern, as he was still clutching the arrow protruding from his chest; his breathing was more ragged and wheezing, something else was happening to him. Belle collapsed to her knees, rubbing his back, and trying to soothe him. The stranger smiled, and waltzed over to the broken window. He hopped on to the ledge, then turned to look at the two of them.

"I know you feel like your lungs are collapsing. I dipped my arrows into a rare poison I bought from a merchant nearby. He found this poison in an unknown realm. There is no antidote. You underestimated me, Rumplestiltskin. And now you won't live to regret that mistake."

He turned to leave; a dagger appeared Rumple's hand, and with a great deal of effort, he threw the dagger, which hit him directly on the wrist. The stranger howled in pain, and dropped the bow onto the wooden floor. To escape with his life, the stranger lept from the window; Belle could hear the sound of a horse's nay and the clopping of hooves against the cobble path. She turned her attention back to a wheezing Rumple, and her fear began to overtake her.

"Please tell me what I can do. There must be some way to save you," she pleaded.

"Take me… take me up …. up to my….. work space," he said through short breaths.

Belle put his arm over her shoulders and helped him up. As she helped him up the stairs, Belle couldn't help but realize she had never been this close to him before, even in the carriage. In addition to that, she noticed he seemed, surprisingly muscular. Belle blushed at the thoughts running through mind, and another severe wheeze from Rumple snapped her out of her thoughts completely.

"Almost there," she whispered.

They reached the top of the stairs, and Belle suddenly realized that she had never been up here before. She stayed away from the west side of the castle because that's where he was all the time. He rarely came down. She sat him on the stool at the table, covered with open books and loose papers. He pointed at a box on the shelf.

"There," he whispered.

She rushed over, picked up the heavy box, and hauled it back over to him. He opened it, and rummaged through the assortment of bottles containing liquids of every color. Rumple clutched his chest and winced; he pulled out a vile containing a light red glowing liquid, flicked the cork off and downed the liquid. Belle looked on anxiously, as she waited for a change, he breathed heavily, and his hand slowly dropped to his side. Belle took this as good sign that whatever he just drank worked.

"You're alright?" she asked.

"Yes… this substance….. can cure any poison. People try to kill me every day, so I also saved it in case they almost succeeded. It's so rare….. I didn't want to waste it on minor injuries."

"What was the potion?"

"Enchanted elf blood," he said.

Belle thought she was going to be sick; he pulled open his shirt a little, he was still bleeding, and obviously needed stitches.

"It seems the poison hasn't fully left my system. Otherwise, my injuries would have healed by now. And there wasn't enough blood to heal me completely."

"Here, let me."

Belle left to gather up the necessary items. She took a needle and thread, a clean cloth, clean bandages, and basin filled with hot water. She returned and set the items on the table. Rumple watched her curiously.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Treating your wounds," she said.

"I can handle myself, thanks."

"No you can't, now let me do it."

Rumple began to fight her; moving around, as she tried to unbutton his shirt a little more. They were struggling so much that her hand brushed up against his wound, and he howled in pain.

"THAT HURT!" he screamed.

"Well if you would stay still IT WOULDN'T HURT AS MUCH!" she yelled back.

"This is all your fault, you know."

"MY FAULT?!" she screamed in disbelief.

"If you hadn't been crying I would've been able to kill the bastard as he was breaking in!"

"Well if you weren't being such a beast, I wouldn't have been crying!"

Rumple opened his mouth for a retort, but stopped, as if he had to think of one first; satisfied he gave it:

"Well you should stop being a baby!"

"Well you should learn to control your temper!" said Belle.

Rumple gave up; instead, he pouted and rests his shin in his hand. Belle unlaced his vest and opened his shirt a little more. She dipped the cloth in the basin and wrung it out. She placed the cloth over his wound. Rumple saw it, and immediately turned his head away and winced.

"I haven't touched you yet," said Belle.

Rumple relaxed and turned as red as his green skin would allow. Belle smiled a little, as she ran the cloth over Rumple's bare chest, rubbing it over again and again; probably more than was needed, and Rumple certainly noticed.

"By the way, thank you….. for saving my life," she said.

Rumple's eyes widened, he couldn't believe what he just heard. He went with his natural instinct and dismissed it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said with his nose in the air.

Belle just smiled, and Rumple could see that she wasn't buying it. He gave up resisting and said:

"You're welcome."

Belle stitched up Rumple's wound and placed a clean bandage over it.

"Grab your cloak. We're leaving," he said.

"What? Where are we-"

"To find that hooded stranger."

"Can't you just let him go; he might have had a good reason for taking the wand."

Rumple slammed his hand on the table; Belle jumped and coiled away. He moved closer until he was inches away from her face.

"NOBODY STEALS FROM ME! BESIDES, PEOPLE WHO STEAL MAGIC NEVER HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS!" he snarled.

"No, you can't tell what's in a person's heart until your truly know them," said Belle.

Rumple ignored her; he buttoned his shirt back up and re-laced his vest before marching down the stairs.

"COME!" he shouted.

Belle sighed and gathered up the bloodied items, then joined him at the front door.

The quest to find their hooded attacker was not a pleasant one; at least Belle didn't think so. Rumple stayed silent for the majority of the ride, and she had no idea where they were going; honestly, she didn't think he knew where they were going either.

"Stop," he said, and the carriage came to sudden halt.

Belle watched him get out and examine the ground. She moved closer to see what he was studying so intensely; it was a hoof print, several of them that led north.

"Got him," he whispered.

Belle scooted over to give him more room to climb back into the carriage. He settled in and waved his hand; the carriage continued its journey. Belle listened to the CLOP CLOP CLOP of the hooves against the mud. Several moments went by before Rumple opened his mouth again.

"We're losing track of him. This forest is too thick."

"Then maybe we should return home?" Belle asked, hopeful that he would abandon his need for revenge.

"What, and let the thief escape? What would people think if I spared the life of someone who stole from me?"

"That there is a man behind the beast. That there is love in your heart, and for more…. Than just power," said Belle.

"There isn't," he snapped back

"If that's true, then why didn't you just let the arrow hit me?"

"Good help is really hard to find these days."

"My help is worth your life? I think you are not as evil as you want people to believe. I think you have created a mask for yourself, and behind that mask is a man of love and truth," said Belle.

"You're right, there is something I love."

Belle leaned in closer to hear, she thought she had finally got to him, that maybe the rest of her time there would be more pleasant, now that she discovered his true nature, but his next answer brought her crashing back to reality.

"MY THINGS!" he yelled.

Frustrated, Belle sat back in her seat:

"You really are as dark as people say."

"Darker dearie, much darker….. Hmmmmmm…. Someone is approaching," he said. He waved his hand, and the carriage stopped once more.

Rumple hopped out, carrying the bow in one hand, he stuck out his other hand for Belle to grab; she was apprehensive at first, but took and smiled to herself. There was a man behind the monster. She followed him, as he approached the strangers; two guards pulling a black carriage, a rather drunk looking man, who stumbled as he dismounted his horse, and took flask from beneath his saddle.

"What are you doing in my woods?" asked the drunken stranger.

"Pardon the intrusion, sheriff. I'm looking for a thief; he attacked me with his bow. I tracked him as far as these woods and then he vanished," said Rumple. Belle watched his interaction with the sheriff and found it strange that he changed his voice to sound more like a peasant.

"Yes, I know exactly who you're looking for," said the sheriff, as he took the bow and examined it.

"And I know who you are, Rumplesiltskin."

"My reputation precedes me, excellent." Rumple seemed pretty impressed with himself, but everyone knew his name. He was a legend throughout all the realms.

"Yes and as does your penchant for making deals….."

Oh boy, Rumple could feel a deal coming on.

"I'll tell you where to find your thief, if you give me something in return." He took another swig from his flask.

"What do you want?" asked rumple, anxious to hear the trade.

"A night with your wench," he said, pointing at Belle.

Rumple turned to look at Belle; and she looked horrified. The idea of selling any woman for sex made him nauseous, and his mind was still trying to register this drunk's most sickening request.

"She's not for sale," said Rumple, hoping the sheriff would just drop it.

"You can't part with her for say an hour…."

Rumple's blood began to boil, and his fuse was getting shorter and shorter. Belle was incredibly disgusted by the man's notion, and was thankful that Rumple refused the man.

"Twenty minutes?"

That was it; he found Belle insufferable, but he hated men who took advantage of women against their will. He knew full well Belle didn't want to even be near this man. No woman deserves a quick role in the hay, then a man just leaving them there.

"Let me think."

Rumple waved his hand, a black mist erupted from the sheriff's mouth, and Rumple was now holding his tongue in the palm of his hand. Rumple laughed, as the sheriff gagged and tried his hardest to speak, but realized it was futile.

"I propose a new deal….. I give you this back, and in return you tell me everything I want to know about the man I'm hunting….. You really need to be more careful with your possessions. More than that, you really should learn respect for the fairer sex," said Rumple as he waved his tongue in front of the struggling sheriff's face. Behind him, Belle cracked a smile.

"Do you agree to my terms?" asked Rumple.

The sheriff gagged his response. Rumple felt the need to toy with him now.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

He gagged again, and frantically shook his head in agreement.

"Oh I'll take that as a yes then," said Rumple. He waved his hand again, and the tongue flew back into the sheriff's mouth.

"Now start talking," said Rumple firmly.

"The thief that you're after, I've been chasing him for years. HE RUINED ME! He stole the woman I loved and made me a laughing stock throughout all of Nottingham."

"Where can I find him?"

"Last I heard, he and his band of marry men were hiding out in Sherwood Forest."

"And his name?"

"Robin Hood…. He goes by….. Robin Hood."

"Much appreciated…. Belle! Let's go," said Rumple as h waved for her to follow.

Belle kept her head down, taking care to not look at the stranger who wanted to buy her virginity like she was a cheap whore living in a brothel. She stuck close to Rumple as they moved into the forest, going deeper and deeper until she could no longer see their carriage. Even more so now, she found this journey to be completely ridiculous, and on top of that, she was exhausted.

"You know, it's not too late to turn back," she said.

Rumple ignored her; his eyes were too busy scanning the forest for any sign of Robin Hood.

"Look I'm no just going to stand here and watch you kill someone," Belle added.

Rumple was getting irritated:

"WELL YOU'RE WELCOME TO SIT AND CLOSE YOUR EYES IF YOU LIKE, BUT HE IS GOING TO DIE… that's the whole point of our little expedition, remember….. to send a message to all the other thieves who like to tempt fate…"

Rumple seemed distracted, Belle followed his gaze with her own eyes, and there he was, Robin Hood. Leaning against a rather large tree, twisting the wand in his hands; a bandage was wrapped around the wound on his wrist.

"Found him," said Rumple.

"It looks like he's waiting for someone," said Belle.

A horse pulling a large cart carrying a trunk and a sickly woman wrapped in blankets pulled up next to him. Robin Hood rushed over and began to stroke the woman's hair.

"A woman?"

"That's probably the one he stole from the sheriff," said Rumple, as he drew up his arrow.

"She's sick, she's going to die-"

"Yeah, so is he," Rumple lifted the bow and pulled the string back before Belle grabbed his hand.

"STOP!"Belle cried.

Belle looked on, as Rumple stood there with a rather annoyed expression. Robin Hood took the wand and moved it up and down her body until color returned to her cheeks and her pale complexion disappeared. Belle smiled at the tender moment.

"See I was right about him, he was trying to save the woman he loves."

"He's still a thief," said Rumple stubbornly; he was like a child throwing a tantrum, and Belle was even getting annoyed by his behavior.

"And she would have died if he hadn't stolen your wand," said Belle.

"AND NOW HE GETS TO DIE, AND SHE CAN TELL ALL OF SHERWOOD FOREST WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CROSS RUMPLESTILTSKIN!"

Rumple waved his hand, and the roots of the nearest tree quickly snapped up from the soil and wrapped themselves around Belle's ankles; the roots pulled her down in the ground. Belle struggled, but to no avail, she was stuck.

"That should give you a good view," said Rumple.

He pulled back the string and took aim.

"Please, DON'T. I was right about the thief, and I'm right about you….."

The woman stood up, and the blankets fell off her body, revealing her round belly.

"Look she's pregnant!"

Rumple lowered his bow, and the memories of his past came flooding back. He couldn't, he was left without a father, he abandoned his own son, Bae; no, he couldn't take this child's father away from them.

"You really aren't the kind of man to leave a child fatherless…."

No, he wasn't, nor will he ever be. He raised the bow again, aimed for the trunk, and let the arrow fly.

"NO!" Belle screamed.

The arrow stuck firmly into the trunk and Robin Hood grabbed his wife.

"We've been found. Marian, we must go," he said.

He helped her on to the horse and they both rode off. Belle was unsure what to say, so she said the first thing that came to her.

"What just happened?"

"I missed," said Rumple.

He waved his hand again and Belle was uprooted from the soil. Rumple didn't want her to make a big deal over this, stars knows he didn't.

"Get back to the carriage. I'm bored of this forest."

"We're not going after him?"

"He's not worth the effort."

"You spared his life," said Belle with a proud smile.

"What? I did nothing of the sort. I just missed is all, and I'm bored, so let's go."

Belle smiled, and she could plainly see through his act.

"That bow has magic in it, it never misses its target," said Belle.

"Well perhaps the magic just simply wore….."

Rumple turned to look at her and didn't realize how close she was, and seeing her looking at him with those innocent crystal blue eyes that were like a captivating sea; it hit him, like cupid's arrow. And it was in that moment he realized that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. After what seemed like to him, a very long pause, he finally found his words again.

"…..off."

Belle smiled, and did the most impulsive thing in their history; she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him in the warmest hug he ever felt. Rumple didn't know what to do, he was speechless. He didn't hug her back, he had not been hugged in thirty years, last time was Cora and even her hugs were not as genuine as these, even before she ripped her heart and metaphorically took his with it. Belle let o and smiled warmly at him, then began to walk back towards the carriage. When she realized he wasn't following, she turned and flashed her lashes at him.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked.

Rumple snapped out of his trance, and grabbed the quiver of bows. She turned around again and began her walk to the carriage; Rumple smiled at her, and it was that moment that he realized he was in love.


	3. Family History

They returned to the castle by nightfall and the tension between them had obviously taken a dramatic change. Belle found herself comfortable enough to walk next to him instead of following. They entered the trophy room; Rumple carrying the bow and quiver in each hand.

"Looks like you won't be needing that bow anymore," said Belle.

"You never know, might come in handy someday," said Rumple thanks to his ability to see the future.

Rumple hung the quiver of arrows on the chair, and laid the bow on the table.

"Well, if there's nothing else….. goodnight, Rumplestiltskin."

She began to walk away, but Rumple wanted to do something nice for her; today she brought something out of him that he thought was long dead. Only his son was able to do this; he had to think. What did she like? He did notice that she had been reading books constantly since she got there, especially when she thought he was looking. The library; that would be her new room. She proved herself enough where he thought a girl like her should not be cooped up in a dungeon.

"No wait….. There is something else," he said.

Belle was curious about what this something else was; especially since he looked so nervous as he twiddled his hands.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Follow me."

Rumple led her up the stairs, and she could have never imagined what was at the top. Books of all colors, shapes, and sizes littered the dusty shelves that surrounded the room. Rumple turned to look at the expression on her face; her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open like a codfish.

"Temper your excitement, dearie. This is just another room for you to clean," said Rumple; while it pleased him to see her happy, he also needed to keep up his appearance as the Dark One.

"This is amazing. It's beautiful. I've never seen so many books in all my life," she said, gasping with wonder.

"You like it?" asked Rumple.

"I love it. There's more books in here than I can read in a lifetime."

"Then it's yours. You can sleep there," he said pointing to the daybed at the center of the room; a pillow and blanket sat neatly folded on its arm.

Belle walked over and picked up the book that she was reading a few days ago; flipping through it, she realized how nice of a gesture this was, and maybe she was right and he wasn't as bad as everyone thought. No one, not even her father or Gaston had ever done anything like this before. This was, by far, the best gift she had ever received.

"Did you do all this for me?" she asked.

"I'd better not see a speck of dust gathering on any of these books," he said.

Belle smiled at his attempts to cover his true nature, but she wanted to let him know that showing his heart was ok with her.

"What are you smiling at, I'm serious," he said.

Belle took his hand; it certainly shocked him, but he didn't question it, and while he always refused human contact after Bae had gone, this somehow felt right.

"You're not who I thought you were, and I'm glad."

That's it, he was swimming in it; the happiness that overwhelmed him was unbelievable. He hadn't felt this kind of happiness since Bae.

"Well then, I bid you goodnight, dearie," he said, as he pulled his hand away.

"Goodnight."

Rumple made his way back down the stairs, and before he reached the door, he stopped, and smiled; it was soft smile, like the good man he once was had returned, but little did he know that Belle had heard him stop, and she smiled as well, the smile of woman who may just be in love.

Belle dragged the tall ladder into the dining room; winter was over and spring was upon them, and she thought that the dark castle didn't have to be so dark all the time. She climbed the ladder and examined the hem of the curtains. Rumple sat silently in the corner, spinning his wheel and thinking deeply. Belle looked over at him curiously; spinning was all he seemed to do while she was there; night and day he sat at the wheel, silently spinning. Bell thought she'd ask why:

"Why do you spin so much?"

Rumple stopped the spinning wheel and turned his head to look at her. No one had ever asked that before, and he wasn't really sure if he had an answer. Spinning was just what he grew up with, ever since his mothers taught him how all those years ago.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, but you spin more gold than you could ever spin-"

"I like to watch the wheel…. It helps me forget."

"Forget what?"

Forget what? So much, so very much; all the pain, the loss, the heartache, everything that made him more of a man than a beast, and everything that made him feel weak, like the village coward he once was. But, now was not the time to discuss this with her, maybe… hopefully there was time later down the line.

"I guess it worked," joked Rumple followed by a high pitched laugh.

Belle couldn't help but laugh as well; and that was the first time he had ever made anyone laugh since Bae. Rumple's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed what she was doing to the curtains.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as he stood up and approached her.

"Opening these; it's almost spring, we should let some light in," she said, as she tugged hard on the curtains.

Rumple stood there watching her let out a gasp with each hard tug she gave.

"What do you do, nail them down?" asked Belle in disbelief.

"Yes," said Rumple.

Belle gave a few more hard tugs; the curtains ripped, and she came tumbling off the ladder; Rumple extended his arms and caught her before she hit the ground. The sunlight hit his face and blinded his eyes. Belle admired how strong he was; he was a skinny man, if he was a man. Their closeness was an awkward situation, Belle fought to release the words from her mouth.

"Th…. Thank you…Thank you," she repeated.

Rumple looked at her, then dropped her and drew his arms back as if he touched her inappropriately; and the exchange only got more awkward from there.

"Ummm…. No matter," he said, trying to play it cool.

"I'll uh….. I'll put the curtains back up," said Belle.

"Ah, there's no need… I'll get used to it," he said before making his way back to his spinning and wondering what the hell just happened.

Belle smiled at his sudden approval of this change in his lifestyle; she couldn't admit it, but she was pleased that he made such a drastic change just for her.

"Oh….. Listen…. I need to make a trip to the nearby market in an hour….. Would you like to accompany me? Get you out of the castle," he asked.

"Sure. I would love that," said Belle with a wide smile.

"Good," said Rumple, almost surprised that she agreed to go anywhere with him.

Belle followed Rumple through the bustling market; his hood was up to attract as little attention as possible. There were so many fascinating things on display. She watched a man deciding between some exotic fruit that she had never seen before; another man was bartering with a merchant for some dragon hide. A group of laughing children eagerly ran past them in order to play with a caged puppy. Rumple stopped, and turned to her.

"I have to see a merchant in a back alley. Stay in the square….. I'll be watching," he said.

While he was talking, Belle noticed a figure in the distance. She was sure it was a man, but his hood hid his well; his black cloak was tied together with a silver pendant; and she was sure the figure was looking directly at them.

"Belle?"

Belle snapped out of her trance and looked at Rumple; giving him an awkward smile.

"Understand?"

"Yes. Of course," she said.

Rumple nodded and walked away. Belle looked in the direction of the figure again, but he was gone. Belle dismissed it as her mind possibly paying tricks on her. It had been a while since she had been outside. Yes, that's it; a lack of fresh air was the cause. Her heart fluttered when she spotted what was on the table next to where the mysterious figure was just standing; a table of books. Belle happily ran over to look at them. It was wide assortment, some of the books she had already read, but one caught her eye. A book with a gold colored cover; "Tales of the Atlantis" was written in brown letters on the front. She glanced through the pages; it was story about adventures at sea, mermaids, far off lands, daring sword fights; she was sold.

"Hey, you gonna look through it all day or are you gonna buy it?" asked the merchant.

As much as she wanted this book, she didn't have any money; payment was not part of the deal she made with Rumple.

"Sorry, but I don't have any money. I…"

"How much for the book?" asked Rumple from behind; Belle noticed he was carrying a small crate under his arm.

"Seven pieces of gold," replied the merchant.

Rumple took out his velvet coin bag and pulled out seven coins, then handed them to the merchant.

"You didn't have to do that," she asked.

"Quite alright, Dearie. Not like I'm paying you…. I can afford a few luxuries for you every now and again," he said.

Belle's heart fluttered again; what was happening? These feelings that overcame her, she could not explain. She clutched the book to her chest; the first gift he had ever bought her.

Over the next few weeks, Belle had managed to turn this dark dusty castle into a castle that even a king couldn't turn down. Everything was brighter, cleaner, and more colorful; Rumple was definitely impressed. Belle dusted lightly at the banisters lining the grand staircase, when Rumple suddenly appeared at the bottom of the steps.

"I'm going to run an errand, I'll be back shortly," he said.

"Shall I have dinner prepared for you?"

"That would be lovely," he said before shooting her a warm smile.

He turned to leave, but Belle couldn't help herself.

"You will come back safely, won't you?"

Rumple turned to look at her again; she was concerned for his well-being? He had forgotten what that felt like. And for some reason, her concern felt better than even that of his son's.

"Don't worry, dearie….. not that kind of errand," he smiled before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.

Belle continued to dust; she shivered as a draft swirled around her. She looked up, and discovered it was coming from somewhere in the west wing. Belle avoided the west wing; it was where he stayed, she only went in there to place his clean laundry on my bed. Now that she was getting more comfortable around him, she thought it was time cleaned that area. She took the duster and a broom, before heading up the stairs to the west wing. Across from his bedroom was another door, which looked like it hadn't been opened in quite some time given the cob webs around it. She took the duster and removed them before turning the knob and opening the door. The door creaked open; it was pitch black, no windows; she began to cough as a cloud of dust erupted around her. There was a lantern perched up against the wall by the door; she took out a book of matches and lit one. The light illuminated the room and she sighed; the room was a complete mess, boxes littered the floor, the room was covered in dust, and old clothes lay across a huge trunk in the middle. She definitely had her work cut out for her.

She picked up the clothing; one outfit was very large, it could have belonged to him, but the other was very small, like a child's. Could this have been his or did he have a son? She carefully placed the clothing on the dusty table, and opened the trunk. Inside was an assortment of very old looking items; a knotted cane, some thread, a variety of books, and what stood out to her, a small carving knife; hard steel with an unknown symbol on its golden hilt. She was certain she had seen the symbol before in one of the books she was currently reading in the library. It was beautiful knife; whoever forged it was extremely talented. She put the knife back in the trunk, and snapped it shut. For the remaining time, she cleaned the room; dusting off shelves, mopping the floor, organizing the boxes. Belle was uncertain as to how long she was cleaning, but she was certain it was well over three hours. She sat on top of the trunk with the wet rag in hand; she wiped her brow and let out a big sigh. DINNER; she suddenly remembered her promise to Rumplesiltskin. She rushed down to the kitchen and gathered the necessary ingredients to prepare the soup he had grown to love since she had arrived in his service.

As she was setting the table, she heard the door swing open, followed by the clicking of Rumple's boots against the tile. He sashayed inside, looking rather pleased with himself.

"What?" asked Belle.

"Nothing," he said with a mischievous grin.

He sat down at the head of the table, and Belle placed a large bowl of soup in front of him.

"Mmmmmm….. smells delicious. Thank you very much, Belle."

He picked up a spoon and began to chow down; Belle nodded, and with a smile, she bowed and walked towards the library.

"You're not going to join me?" he asked, causing her to stop halfway to the door.

Belle was stunned, he had never asked her to eat with him before; she really didn't know what to say. She slowly turned around to see him staring at her, as if he were anxious to hear her answer.

"Um…."

"Please….. sit," he said, pointing to the empty chair at the other end of the table.

Belle eventually figured that she would not fight this; plus, if anything, this was an opportunity to get to know him better. She poured her own bowl of soup along with a cup of wine, and they ate together.

"So I finally found my way to cleaning the west wing, and um…. There's this room upstairs with all these boxes and clothing…. Small, as if it were a child's. Was it yours or was there a son?"

Rumple dropped his spoon; it clattered to the floor. Belle looked down at her own food, and stared at so hard you would think she was trying to mentally burn a hole in it. She knew she risked stirring something up by asking and was deeply regretting ever doing so.

"There was…. There was a son. I lost him, as I did his mother," he whispered.

Belle couldn't believe her ears, he answered her, and she could tell that thinking about it caused him great pain.

"I'm so sorry….. So, you were a man once…. Just an ordinary man?"

Rumple ignored her and summoned another spoon in to his hand.

"If I'm never going to know anyone else for the rest of my life…. Can't I at least know you?" she asked.

"Perhaps," said Rumple with a small smile.

He stood up from his seat and slowly walked over to her end of the table.

"Or maybe…. You want to learn the monster's weaknesses," said Rumple in his playful voice followed by some aha noises.

Belle just looked at him; truthfully she could never harm him, at least not now.

"You're not a monster… You think you're uglier than you are, that's why every mirror in the castle is covered up isn't it?"

"There are other reasons to cover up a mirror," said Rumple, thinking of his greatest enemy and former student.

"Um… I also find this," said Belle, as she took the knife out of her pocket.

"My knife," he said, as he snatched it from her.

"I wasn't stealing it. The symbol, here on the hilt….. I've seen it before. In one of the books upstairs."

"Yes. I imagine you have," said Rumple, as he twirled it around in his hands.

Belle studied him; he seemed to be lost in thought, as if he were remembering something long forgotten but her curiosity got the best of her.

"What does the symbol mean?"

"Brotherhood," he whispered.

Belle looked down at the knife, then back at him again.

You have a brother as well?" she asked.

"I had a brother. He was adopted by the same two women who raised me….. He died….. when we were both children."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up the past."

"It's quite alright… You know, you're the first person I ever told….. about him. I've never talked about him with anyone; not my son, my wife, no one."

Belle didn't know whether to feel honored or worse. She gently placed her hand on his; he looked up at her, and in her eyes was a calming sea of emotion that let him know it was going to be alright.

"I should clean this up," she said, as she picked up the two, now empty, bowls of soup.

"Let me know if you need anything else."

Rumple clenched his fist; he watched her leave, then got up and moved to the spinning wheel; he needed to forget. He wanted to spin the memories away; the memories of two people he lost that he loved more than life itself; and both were now gone because of him.


	4. The Evil Queen

Rumple stood alone in the dimly lit great hall of the dark castle; he leaned against the center table watching the massive double doors as if he were waiting for something or someone. He glanced down at his pocket watch, and BAM; the doors flew open, and in stormed the evil queen, Regina, or what was supposed to be Regina. Rumple had given her a disguise during their meeting earlier. She wanted so desperately to be seen as the good guy by her subjects and Snow White the bad. Of course, as long as she decided to slaughter thousands of people, that was probably never going to happen. She looked awfully mad, and Rumple knew why, but instead of apologizing (like that would ever happen) he decided to toy with her instead.

"Do I know you, dearie? Sorry, I already have a maid….. promising girl actually," said Rumple.

"You know who I am!" shouted the Queen, who was obviously in no mood to be played with.

"The question is….. why did you come when I called?!"

"I said you could call, didn't say I'd answer," said Rumple with an evil grin.

Regina threw her arms up in a huff, and then stormed over to the mirror. The smell of her clothing filled his nostrils, and he waved his hand in front of his face.

"Oh dear, have the peasants no soap then?" Rumple asked, teasing her again.

"Enough! You've had your fun, now change me back. I want to eat decent food, wear clean clothes, and sleep in my own bed, thank you very much," Regina commanded.

"I tried to warn you, dearie….. A queen walking amongst her people might not like what she hears."

"What do you want? You want me to say you were right?" asked Regina.

Rumple moved his ear closer to give her the hint that that's exactly what he wanted.

"Fine. You were right," she scoffed.

"Oooohh, I like that," said Rumple as he flashed her an evil grin in the mirror.

He waved his hand; she was engulfed by a cloud of purple smoke, and was now standing before the mirror as Regina once again. Regina flashed an evil grin at her reflection in the mirror, and Rumple just smiled proudly at her. In truth he did feel a sort of protectiveness about Regina, more so to his own end, and he had never forgotten his love for Cora, despite the multiple times she tried to kill him ,and Regina reminded him so much of her; after all, Regina was almost his daughter, but all that was a thing of the past. All he needed her for now was to cast the curse, so he could get to Bae.

"The Queen is dead…. Long live the Evil Queen," said Regina proudly.

"Suits you… I'm guessing you'll be taking your leave now," said Rumple, as he waved her to the door.

Regina waved her hand, and the doors flew open; lightning lit up the sky, and the rain came pouring down. Rumple watched Regina's carriage followed by a band of soldiers appear in front of the castle. She quickly hopped in, and the carriage pulled off.

The next morning, Belle sat in her library, the book Rumple bought for her at the market in hand, lounging across the day bed. The book was getting rather intriguing; it was the tale of a pirate looking for his lost treasure, while getting into trouble along the way. She loved books like this; reading them allowed her to experience an adventure a long with the characters.

"Belle!" called Rumple from downstairs.

Belle marked her place and set the book on the table before rushing down the stairs. Rumple sat at his wheel, spinning away. Belle approached him gingerly.

"Would you mind putting the kettle on? I would like some tea," he said.

"Yes. Of course," said Belle with a smile.

Belle went to the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove; while the water was heating up, she began to set up the tray. The cups, sugar, and cream were joined by the large kettle; she reached over and grabbed the tea bag and put it inside. She picked up the tray and carried it outside. She set the tray on the table before pouring a cup for herself and walking over to look out the window at the mountain side; it was beautiful in the spring. Rumple walked over to the tea tray and poured himself a cup; he blew at the steam erupting from the top, and took a sip. It was delicious; he closed his eyes and hummed at the warm liquid making its way to his stomach; Belle had magic of her own. He watched her intensely, studying the curves of her body under that blue dress, the way her hair fell on her shoulders, the way her went to the clouds whenever she was looking out at the mountains or reading a book. A knock from the door woke him from his trance; he wasn't expecting anyone today. Belle looked nervously at him, then in the direction of the front door. Rumple gently sat his cup on the table.

"Stay here," he said, as he strolled out of the room.

Out in the great hall, he waved his hand, and the doors swung open revealing Sir Gaston on the other side. He was pointing his huge sword at him; Rumple's walk turned to one of cockiness, as he took slow steps towards hid enemy. Rumple wasn't frightened; in fact, he was amused at how naïve the knight was; there was now chance he would defeat him.

"I am Sir Gaston, and you, BEAST have taken my true love….. The women whose heart was meant to be mine," said Gaston.

"She's not a piece of property," said Rumple through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you're one to talk, aren't you, Dark One? You bargained for her like she was a golden goose."

Gaston stepped into the great hall; most men never made it this far unless Rumplestiltskin allowed it, and Rumple certainly didn't even want the knight in his courtyard let alone in his home, but Gaston's words hit a nerve, as he backed away from him. Had he really done the same thing; treated Belle like she was an animal? Maybe he had; that certainly wasn't his intention.

"Gaston?"

Belle's voice caused the two men to whip their heads around to gaze at her. It was an odd sight for to see; Gaston with his blade raised, and the fearless Dark One backing away like a frightened child.

"What are you doing here? What's going on?" asked a frantic Belle.

"Belle…. I'm here to rescue you," said Gaston

"Rescue me?"

"Yes. I'm here now, Belle. We can go home. Raise that family we always talked about," said Gaston, as he outstretched his hand.

Rumple was seething; and yet, he had no idea why. Why should he care about what plans the knight had with Belle? Belle walked over to him, and gently lowered his hand.

"Gaston, I'm grateful for your assistance, but I can't go with you. I made a promise. If I go back now, he'll let the ogres come back….. Gaston… It's my duty to stay here. Now, please… leave," said Belle.

Rumple's eyes couldn't leave hers; was this really how she still felt? Like she was forced to stay here? After all they'd been through, all the opening up, she still felt like a prisoner? Rumple was undoubtedly hurt, and for the first time, he did care. Gaston lowered his sword, and Belle escorted him outside. Rumple could hear the clicks of the horse's hooves against the stone path, as the knight rode away. Belle returned a few short moments later looking, to Rumple's surprise, happy.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For not killing him….. he's an ignorant oaf, but he means well, I promise you," she said.

Rumple nodded, and followed Belle back into the trophy room. There was another knock at the door, and rumple openly voice annoyance.

"Stay here this time," he said to Belle, as he made his way back to the front doors.

He waved the doors open again, but instead of the knight being on the other side, as Rumple expected, it was an old women, hidden by a black cloak, carrying a basket of roses.

"Hello, my dear, I was wondering if you could help out a kindly old woman…. One gold coin for a single rose," she said.

Rumple was curious about the old woman, she kept her face hidden, and it was unusual for people to approach the Dark Castle unless it was their last resort, and here this woman was knocking on his door to sell him something.

"Do you know who I am, old woman?" asked Rumple.

'Oh yes….. The Dark One, Rumplestiltskin, the most powerful and most feared man in all the realms," she said.

"Interesting that you know that, and yet you approached my door anyway."

"You may be the most powerful, Dark One, but you are not the only one greatly adverts in magic. I go wherever I am needed….. to help and to survive."

"What do you mean?" Rumple was getting even more curious now; he had never met her before, and yet, he could feel a powerful aurora around her.

"I sell a rose to whoever needs it….. I go wherever a rose is guaranteed to bloom," she said.

"Is that so? Very well….." Rumple waved his hand, and a single gold coin appeared between his fingertips.

"I'll take one." If anything, he figured it would be a lovely gift for Belle.

The woman reached into her basket and pulled out a single red rose, and handed it to him. Rumple placed the gold coin into her open purse; he examined the flower, blood red with thorns along the side. He turned to face the old woman again, but she was gone; there was no trace of her. Rumple closed the door, and went back to join Belle in the other room.

Belle watched him reenter the room with his hands behind his back, looking rather mischievous.

"Who was that, then?" she asked.

"Just an old woman selling flowers… Here," he said, presenting the rose to her.

Belle smiled at the gift.

"If you'll have it," said Rumple.

Belle took the rose and marveled at how beautiful it was.

"Why thank you," she said, before she curtsied, and Rumple returned her gesture of thanks with a bow of his own.

Belle giggled, and walked across the room to the small chest sitting on the floor; Rumple smiled and clasped his hands together with all the makings of a man madly in love. She reached down and pulled out a pair of clippers from the chest.

"You had a life Belle, before all this….. friends…. Family….. Why did you decide to come here with me?" Rumple didn't know exactly why he asked this or what answer he was going to get; he just so desperately wanted to know, after all this time together, she didn't fear him. Rumple watched her open the cabinet and retrieve a vase.

"Heroism… Sacrifice…. There aren't a lot of opportunities for women in our land to show what they can do, you know, to see the world, to be heroes, so when you arrived; I figured that was my chance. I always wanted to be brave; I figured do the brave thing and bravery would follow," said Belle as she clipped the bottom stem of the rose and placed it in the vase, before sitting it on the table.

"And was everything you ever hoped?" asked Rumple as he waved his hand, finding the notion of nobelism ridiculous and a fool's quest.

"Well, I did want to see the world…. That part didn't work out, but I did save my village, and that's the most important outcome of this whole ordeal- this path I've chosen," she said, as she pulled herself up to sit on the corner of the table next to him.

So, she did still see all of this as something she had to do, and not staying because she wanted…. Because she may love him; Rumple was thouroghly disappointed, but he thought he'd pry a little more.

"And what about your, uh….. betrothed?" asked Rumple, hoping that he would hear the answer he wanted.

"Ah, it was an arranged marriage. Honestly, I never really cared much for Gaston, but he isn't a terrible person, he's just a fool, and if I can help him live a minute longer…. I'll try my best."

"You've never been in love before?" asked Rumple.

"Not really, no. See to me, love is layered… love is a…. a mystery to be uncovered. No, I can never give my heart to someone as superficial as he."

Rumple sat in his chair, hands clasped together, mesmerized by the beauty before him; because she was beautiful in every way, and her words spewed out with all the wisdom and poetry she could muster. He was in love, that fact was for certain now, and he couldn't bear to keep her as a prisoner any longer. He didn't want her to feel that she had to stay because of her deal with him; he wanted her to stay because she loved him.

"Anyway….. I haven't forgotten. I told you about me, not you tell me something about you. You were going to tell me about your son."

"I'll tell you what…. I'll make you a new deal…."

Belle's interest just peeked even further; she moved closer.

"Go to town and fetch me some straw….. and when you return, I'll share my tale," said Rumple.

Belle looked confused; she didn't know if she had heard him correctly.

"Wait, town?" Belle asked.

Rumple nodded.

"You trust me to come back?"

"Oh no…. I trust I'll never see you again. I release you from our deal. If you want to return on your own free will….. you'll always be welcome….. I'll be waiting for that straw."

Belle hopped off the table, and entered the great hall where her cloak was hanging neatly on the hook; she grabbed it along with a basket for the straw. She took one more look back at Rumplestiltskin, who was still sitting in his chair with his fingers folded; she pulled her hood over her head and strolled out of the castle. As she made her way down the path, she was expecting him to appear in front of her and declare that the whole thing was a ruse, and that the whole thing was a test of her loyalty and commitment, which she horribly failed, but when she finally reached the end of the path and stood firmly at the edge of the forest, it was safe to say that he had in fact let her go. So, why was she so conflicted; this was her chance to see her family and friends again, and yet, she didn't want to leave him, but he would never change. He would remain evil for the rest of his days, but he had changed so much since she had first met him; he was kinder and gentler. Maybe that was all an act; could she really be with someone like that; someone so violent… She had never felt this way about anyone. Without thinking any further, she ran into the forest, and disappeared into the trees of the enchanted forest.

However; unbeknownst to Belle, up in the Queen's bedroom of the Queen's castle; Regina stood in front of the clouded mirror watching Belle run into the forest. She smiled that evil smile; this was her chance to dethrone Rumplestiltskin as the King of magic himself. She turned just as a soldier came running in and kneeled before her.

"You summoned me, my Queen?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes. Fetch my carriage….. I think I would like to make friends today," she said.

The knight nodded and bowed before running back out into the hall. Regina turned to face the mirror again, where Belle was walking the dirt road, on her way to town.

Belle walked briskly along the path; so deep in her thoughts that nothing else existed around her. She didn't know what to do anymore; she was so confused about all of this. Was he really worth fighting for? She desperately wanted him to be, but by going back, it would mean she was sacrificing the chance to be with her family all over again. But, then, other than her father's love, what exactly was she going back to? Being treating unequally by surrounding men? A loveless marriage to Gaston? That wasn't the life she wanted; she had never been on anything like the quest to find Robin Hood with Rumple, and he might have chastised her, but he never treated her like she was inferior to him because she was a woman, and no one had ever done that before. The sounds of racing horses crept up behind her, and Belle quickly moved further towards the edge of the road; she patiently waited for the small black carriage and small group of soldiers to pass, but instead, the carriage stopped in front of her. The door swung open, and Regina popped out and smiled at her. Belle found her to be very pretty; and though she had never met her, Belle arrived to the conclusion that based on the company of soldiers, the elegant carriage, and the large tailored dress, she must be Queen Regina.

"Did my carriage splash you?" she asked.

"Oh no….. I'm fine," said Belle with a smile.

"You know, I'm tired of riding. Let me stretch my legs and walk with you for a spell," she said with a warm smile.

Belle just stood there; she was puzzled, but was intrigued as to why the Queen was interested in walking with her. A soldier helped Regina out of the carriage, then handed her an umbrella to shade her from the sun. They walked together, and the soldiers followed; Belle grew increasingly uncomfortable. She could sense Regina studying her; making her own silent judgments.

"You carry very little," she said.

"Oh, I don't want to be slowed down."

"Ah, running from someone… Question is: master of lover?"

Belle's gaze focused on the ground; she was somewhat annoyed that the Queen could read her so easily.

"Oh, master and lover."

Belle was suddenly not in the mood to talk, especially not about her heart, and with a complete stranger.

"I might take a rest. You go on ahead," said Belle, but this didn't stop Regina, who linked arms with her and dragged her along, determined to pry a little more.

"So, if I'm right….. you love your employer, but you're leaving him."

"I might lover him-I mean I could accept…. Something evil has taken root in him."

"Sounds like a curse to me….. and all curses can be broken….. A kiss born of true love will do it."

Belle couldn't hide her sudden spike in interest. Could this really be true? If she could break Rumple's curse then they could be together forever. She wouldn't have to worry about his violence anymore. Regina must have taken Belle's expression as something along the line of the absurd, because she came back with:

"Oh no, child. I would never suggest a young woman would kiss the man who held her captive. I mean, what kind of message is that?"

"Right. Of course."

"Besides, if he loves you, he would have let you go, and if he doesn't love you….. the kiss won't even work."

"Well, he did let me go," said Belle, stopping them in their tracks once again.

"Yes, but no kiss happened."

"And a kiss…. A kiss is enough… He'll be a man again?"

"Just an ordinary man… True Love's kiss will break any curse," said Regina.

Well this certainly gave Belle food for thought; and she cursed herself for not seeing it before. Rumple loved her; he wanted her to want to stay with him and not feel like she was bound to him because of some bloody deal. Now it didn't matter; if he could show her that much love, he was more than capable of changing; and Belle was set on saving him. She would break his curse, no matter what.

Rumple stood there gazing out of the window, waiting for Belle to return; she had been gone for hours now, and he had been standing there in the same spot since she left. He was starting to give up hope that she would ever return, for if she did in fact return home, at least she was happy, and that was all that mattered to him. Then suddenly, he spotted a figure on the ground exiting the forest and entering the courtyard. As she drew closer, he recognized the figure to be Belle; he backed up and ran down the stairs to greet her.

Belle entered the throne room with her basket filled with straw; she spotted Rumplestiltskin spinning at his wheel.

"Oh you're back already? Good…. Good thing… I'm nearly out of straw."

Belle placed the basket on the floor next to him; she laughed, for she could see right through his act; and she knew he had been waiting for her. She couldn't prove it of course, but deep down she just knew.

"Hmmmm…Come on….. you're happy that I'm back," said Belle

Rumple thought it pointless to hide the truth; the woman could see right through him.

"I'm not unhappy," he said with an awkward smile.

Belle made her way to his side of the wheel and placed her hands gently on his shoulders.

"You promised me a story," she said.

"Did I?"

"Hmm-hmm," said Belle as she sat next to him.

"Tell me about you son."

Rumple felt as though the walls were closing in. Could he trust himself to talk about his child with her; he would giving his heart to this woman. Last time he did that was with Cora, Regina's evil mother; and she chose a life of royalty over a life with him. It hurt him, and it still did, but could he honestly give himself to this woman? He desperately wanted to; he had to be brave, he just had to; trust that this woman loves him for him.

"I lost him….. nothing more to tell, really," Rumple couldn't believe it. "You coward," he thought to himself. He loved this Belle like he'd never loved any woman before, and yet, he couldn't tell her about his son; he couldn't take a chance and just believe in their love.

"And since then you've loved no one, and no one has loved you?" asked Belle.

Rumple leaned in closer:

"Why did you come back?"

"I wasn't going to, but something changed my mind."

Rumple couldn't stop looking at her; his breath was taken away, and he sighed. The way she was looking at him; so much love and desire in her eyes, a desire for him like no other woman in his life has had. He could see his future in those beautiful blue eyes. Belle could sense that there was something wrong.

"What is it?" she asked.

"No one, no one has ever looked at me like that. Not even my wife."

Belle wanted him, she wanted to kiss him. She moved a bit closer, then leaned in, closing her eyes and being extra careful not to startle him, she kissed him softly. It was the most wonderful feeling she had ever felt in her life; her first kiss. All the feelings she had for him; all the desire, the lust, the passion, had come full circle in this one amazing moment. She gently pulled away, and opened her eyes; his were still closed, as he was still reeling from the moment. Then, his skin began to change; the green became paler and paler as the seconds passed and he could feel it.

"Oh….. What's happening?"

Belle voiced her joy, and stroked the sides of his hair. The Queen was right; he did love her, and she knew it, and now that his curse was breaking, they could be together forever.

"Kiss me again….. It's working," she said happily.

"What is?" asked Rumple, obviously confused.

"Any curse can be broken."

Rumple looked down at his hands, as they slowly changed color; and it was then, that he registered the words that just came out of her mouth. She couldn't have possibly known that. Only the most advanced magic users know that, which means this was a trick.

"Who told you that?!" shouted Rumple, as he stood up abruptly, his stool flying backwards.

Belle became confused; she didn't know what had happened; Rumple just did a complete 180 in span of thirty seconds. Now he was standing in front of her, angrier than a rabid lion.

"Who knows that?!"

"She….. she…..um…." Belle was so terrified she couldn't speak.

Rumple turned and stormed over to the covered mirror in the corner.

"She? You….. evil…. bitch," he said as he tore the cover off, and began shouting at his own reflection.

"YOU DID THIS! YOU TURNED HER AGAINST ME! I'M GOING TO CHOP YOUR BLOODY HEAD OFF! You think you can make me weak? You think you can defeat me?!" he shouted.

Belle looked more confused now, than she did a minute ago. She stood there in fear, watching Rumplestiltskin yell at his own reflection.

"Um…. Who are you talking to?" she asked.

"The QUEEN! Your friend, the Queen. How did she get to you?"

"She was hardly my friend…. I met her on the road."

"Oh I see…. So, she enlisted you in effort to kill the beast…. Or is this all your idea? Is this you trying to be the hero? I knew this was a trick. I knew you could never love me." Rumple was past the point of reason now; Belle was just another Cora, she only valued herself. How could he have been so blind?

"It was working," said Belle, as she tried to grab his hand, but he snatched it away.

"SHUT UP!"

"This means it's true love," she yelled.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Why won't you believe me?!"

Rumple grabbed her on each arm, and shook her violently; screaming inches away from her face.

"BECAUSE NO ONE, NO ONE COULD EVER LOVE ME!"

Rumple squeezed her arm, his nails digging in to her skin, and dragged her down to the dungeons. He threw her inside, and slammed the door behind him. She ran towards the door just as it closed; she tugged on the handle, but it was no use.

"Wait! No! Please, you have to believe me! I do love you! With all my heart," said Belle, as she pounded on the door.

Nothing; and now she was back in the dark damp cell she had grown accustomed to during the few weeks of her time here. She sat on the bed, and began to sob in her hands. It obvious now that the Queen had tricked her, and had brought her into her ongoing feud with Rumple, and she couldn't be angrier with him. He didn't believe her after all they'd been through; he wouldn't even listen. She brushed her loose hair from her face, and stopped her cries, as she heard the sound objects tumbling and glass breaking upstairs accompanied by Rumple's angry screams.

Rumple had gone into a frenzy; his angry blinding him, he took his cane and began to smash the cupboard glass in anger. Dishes of all sorts spilled over the broken shelves and onto the floor, breaking some more. Rumple didn't care he just wanted to beat out his anger and pain; the pain of knowing that he could never be loved again, that no one could ever want him. Belle was supposed to be the one, but she was just like the others, and even though he now hated her, he knew there would no one else like her. He looked over at the tea set on the table; the very same one she used to serve him every day. He picked up a cup, and just began throwing them at the walls. SMASH… SMASH…. SMASH, each one coming to an abrupt end; pieces flying in all directions. He picked up the last cup, then noticed the chip on the side. The memories of their first night together came flooding back; he couldn't do it. He placed the cup back on the trey, and made his way back down to the dungeons.

Belle sat still on the bed with her head resting on the damp wall. The door swung open, and in walked Rumplestiltskin. Belle had an idea that her life might come to an end right now, and she just wanted to get it over with; her soul felt like it had been ripped in two, and she felt like she was already dead.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked.

"Go," he whispered, as he pointed outside the door before turning his back to her.

"Go?" Belle didn't understand.

"I don't want you anymore, dearie. You're too much of a risk," he said calmly.

Belle stood up and made her way to the door. No; she wasn't going to let him off that easily. She had a few words for him too, and she wasn't leaving until he listened. She stopped at the door way, then made her way back to stand in front of him. She looked up into his cold dark green eyes, and spoke her mind:

"You know, you were freeing yourself. You could have had happiness if you just believed that someone could want you. You just couldn't take the chance," said Belle.

"That's a lie," he said through gritted teeth; she was right though. She was the only person that could read him just like the books she held so close to her heart.

She took one step closer, so that she was right in face. She wanted him to feel how much he was making her hurt; how her heart was breaking.

"You're a coward, Rumplestiltskin. And no matter how thick you make your skin or how powerful you become, that fact doesn't change."

"I'm not a coward, dearie. It's quite simple, really….. my power means more to me than you."

'No…. No…. That's a lie. You just don't think I can love you. I told you about my dream earlier today, and as I walked back, I decided…. that you, Rumplestilskin, were my new dream. And now you've made your choice, and you're going to regret it….. forever. All you'll have is an empty heart… and a chipped cup.

And with that, Belle left him alone, but she missed the single tear that ran down Rumple's cheek, as he already began to regret the decision he just made. Belle stormed into the great hall; she grabbed her satchel and her cloak, then ran down the path, through the courtyard and into the enchanted forest; the tears soaking her cheeks as she went. Her heart was broken, and much, much worse, she had no idea where she was going from here.


	5. The Elf and the Yaoguai

Rumple stood in his usual spot; spinning his wheel, trying to forget, but there was now an emptiness about him. He was hollow, as if the world was standing still, and he had lost another piece of himself when she walked out that door. For the first time in his life he had lost a piece of his soul; he felt no anger, only unending sadness. He heard the doors fly open, as Regina waltzed in with her usual sashay and a hop in her step.

"Flimsy locks… I have a deal to discuss….. a certain mermaid," she said as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"I'm not dealing today." He was in no mood for Regina's games; he only wanted to be alone.

"Are you angry with me, Rumple?"

"You're little deception failed…. You'll never be more powerful than me. You can keep trying, dearie. You're never going to be me." Usually he snarled when he insulted Regina, but now his heart was in pieces and he wasn't feeling anything. His voice was tired and quiet.

"Awwwww… Is this about that girl I met on the road?" she taunted him, and the evil smile she flashed assured him that she was enjoying it. "What was her name? Margie? Verna?"

"Belle," Rumple whispered.

Thought his back was to her, he could sense by the tone of her voice that the thought of Belle sickened her. He could not hide his feelings for her anymore, and nor did he care to keep trying.

"Right…" she snarled. "Well…. You can rest assure that I had nothing to do with that tragedy," she said before sucking on the tea spoon pretending to be so innocent.

Rumple stopped spinning and slowly turned to face her. Tragedy? What tragedy? He was silently pleading that nothing had happened to his Belle. He couldn't take any more pain.

"What tragedy?"

"You don't know? Well….. After she got home, her fiancé refused to be with her…. And after her stay here, her…. Association with you disgusted him. No one would want her of course. Her fiancé and her father shunned her…. Cut her off, shut her out."

"So she needs….. a home?" This was his chance; she will be able to come back, he could make amends, and they could be together. His heart fluttered at the thought. This was his chance to make things right.

"he was cruel to her…. He locked her in a tower and sent in clerics to cleanse her soul with scourges and flaying. After a while she threw herself off the tower. She died."

And there it was; the news had hit him like tidal wave of pain that he could never shake off. Another loved one lost because of him; because of his cowardice and greed. Belle was the love of his life; his true love. Yes, his true love, he could finally admit that now. He had never loved anyone the way he loved Belle. While she was here she was his world, and now his world has just come crashing down. What had he done?

"You're lying." He wanted desperately to believe she was, more than he ever wanted anything before.

"Am I?"

"We're done," he waved his hand and the double doors swung open.

Regina scoffed and placed the cup back on the table.

"Fine. I have other calls to make," she said before running her fingers across the dusty table. Rumple waited patiently for her to leave his home, he didn't have the energy to yell. "Mmmmm…. Place is looking dusty, Rumple….. You should get another girl," she said with an evil smile.

"Just get out," Rumple snarled.

Regina chuckled and waved her hand to close the doors behind her. Rumple made his way over to the cabinet and picked up the cup Belle had chipped her first night in the castle. He made his way over the golden goblet sitting on the marble pedestal and replaced it with the chipped cup. This was now his most prized possession, more special than his dagger. The tears ran freely now, knowing that he essentially caused her death was more than he could bare, and felt empty inside. There was nothing but emptiness and despair, and nothing could bring him back from this. She was his light, his angel, his heart.

Inside a nearby tavern, Belle sat at the table, nursing a beer and resting her head on her hand. No matter how hard she tried Rumple was still on her mind. He was the only man she had ever fallen in love with, and now he had kicked her out. She desperately wanted him to feel something for her in return, but she it was a fool's hope. There was no more love in his heart; it was too dark. All he cared about was power, and she knew she would much rather be alone than live with a man who coveted power over his own heart. She looked up a roaring table of happy dwarves, but got her attention. She knew then by the tone of his voice, the way he slouched in his seat; he was going through the same thing she was.

"I can't eat. I can't sleep. I don't feel at all like myself….. Maybe I should have Doc take a look at me," said the dwarf.

"You want to trust a dwarf who got his medical degree from a pick axe?" asked another. "I wouldn't worry so much about it… it's all in your head."

Belle knew exactly what he was feeling; she herself had felt the same feelings when she discovered Rumple's gentle side. She could never understand what exactly about him made her fall for him, it was like they were meant to be together; their hearts were written together in the stars. But, she guessed that's what soul mates were; people who were meant to be together.

"It's not in his head," Belle interjected. The two dwarves turned to look at her curiously. "It's in his heart…. You're in love."

"Ehhhh… that's impossible. Dwarves can't fall in love," said the older looking elf.

"Trust me, I know love and….. you're in it," Belle said.

"What's it like?" sked the love sick dwarf as, moved closer to her.

Belle smiled, thinking about the happier times she had spent with Rumple made her heart feel warm again.

"It's the most wonderful feeling in the world. Love is hope, it fuels our dreams. It's like being born again and feeling you heart beat for the first time. If you ever find yourself in love….. you need to enjoy it, because….. love doesn't always last forever." Belle diverted her eyes back to her hands. She didn't want him to see the tears forming in her eyes.

"If love is so great, than why do I feel so bad right now?"

"You need to be with the person you love."

"Yeah, but what if she doesn't feel the same way? All she talked about was going to see some fireflies, not loving me."

"What did she tell you about these fireflies?" Belle asked now that curiosity had peaked even more.

"Uhhh… That she was going to go see them on the hilltop tonight. That she heard they were the most beautiful sight in all the land."

Belle couldn't help but laugh about how this grand romantic gesture just flew over this dwarf's head.

"What?" he asked confused at her sudden outburst.

"She wasn't telling you about the fireflies…. She was inviting you to go be with her."

"You think so?"

"I've had my heartbroken enough to know when someone's reaching out." The other dwarves cheered and pounded their fists on the table. "Now go…. Be with your love…. Find your hope….Find your dream."

"I'm Dreamy, by the way."

"I'm Belle."

He shook her hand.

"Thank you, Belle. I'll never forget this."

Belle smiled and watched him leave the tavern with the rest of his family. Belle went back to reading her book. She needed to get her mind off of Rumple, even though that was becoming increasingly hard to do.

Belle left the tavern a few hours later feeling a little groggy; another rejection from another inn, it seems that many were in need of a place to stay lately. She slung her satchel over shoulder and proceeded to travel to the next inn.

"Not safe for a little lady like you," came a voice from the shadows.

A scruffy looking man emerged into the light; a knife hanging loosely in his hand, he flashed a dirty grin at her. His clothes were tattered and loose; the same went for three other men, who joined him and began to surround her.

"What do you want?" asked Belle. "I don't have any money."

Suddenly, another one grabbed her from behind, his large hands grasping her breasts; he held her tightly and whispered wickedly into her ear; his breath was fowl. Belle struggled, but he was too strong.

"Oh we don't want money….. we want something else," whispered the thug, as his hand traveled further down.

Belle stomped her foot into his as hard as she could; her assailant howled in pain. She tried to run away, but he caught her arm and pulled her back.

"HELP!" she screamed.

He covered her mouth and shoved her down to the ground; Belle clutched her head, and looked at the blood smeared across her hand. He flipped her over, and began to hike up her dress. The other men began to laugh at the scene.

"No, please…. STOP!" she yelled, no one seemed to be able to hear her cries because no one exited the pub, she was alone; she couldn't find a place to stay, the only man she truly loved had kicked her out, and now she was about to lose herself to a quick rough roll in the dirt.

Belle suddenly found herself struggling for no reason; she looked up at him, and gasped as the blood poured from his mouth and his eyes grew wide with fear. She glanced down and spotted the other end of a sword protruding from his abdomen. She looked up at her savior and saw nothing but a hooded face surrounded by dark cloak; he was obviously a man based on how broad his shoulders were; she recognized him immediately by the pendent that was holding his cloak together. It was the same pendent that she spotted on the dark figure that was watching her and Rumple at the market. He pulled out two swords, and went for the others; easily taking them out with a variety of expert dual sword techniques that would render any man helpless to stop him. Slashing, dodging, and jumping about; watching him move was incredible; he was fearless in fearful situation. She looked around to see all her would be assailants now face first in the mud; bloodied and battered. The stranger twirled his swords in each hand, and gracefully placed them back in their respective sheaths on both side of his hips. He walked back over to her and stuck out a gloved hand, and Belle hesitantly took it.

"Um….. thank….. thank you," she said, as he hoisted her up.

The stranger removed his hood, revealing a handsome man with caramel skin; scruffy and unshaven, his long goatee swayed with the gentle breeze. Belle was surprised, she didn't know what to really expect, maybe some kind of monster, but wait- Belle spotted his ears; they were pointy and his eyes, his eyes were shade unlike any other; aqua green, as green as the clearest saltiest most beautiful part of the sea. His long jet black hair was tucked behind his ears; he had one scar over his right eye and another one the cut diagonally across his face. It was obvious he had fought in some very heavy wars; wasn't surprising given his sword fighting skills and how built he was. Gaston was tall and muscular, but this man had him beat in the muscle department, he was a very big man, but he wasn't nearly as tall; Belle thought that he and Rumple were the same height; this one might be an inch shorter.

"You're safe now, dearie. Nasty area this is," said the stranger with that thick accent similar to hers and Rumple's.

"I didn't think anyone in the pub had heard me," said Belle.

"I wasn't in the pub, but women are raped frequently in this part of the forest."

"Good thing you showed up…. I'm Belle, by the way."

"That's a beautiful name. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl… Very nice to meet you, Belle," he said.

Belle offered her hand to shake, which he happily took. He paused for a minute, then looked at her as if he had seen a ghost, but was later followed by a wide grin. Belle flashed him an awkward look, as her eyes darted back and forth between their clasped hands and his stunned face.

"My name is Flynn….. Flynn Rider,"

"A very strong name for a strong man."

Flynn chuckled at her retort; Belle watched him sort through the pockets of dead bodies, pulling out bags of coins and going through, what looked to be safe travel papers on the Queen's road.

"Forgive me… I don't mean to offend you, but you're not exactly human are you?" asked Belle.

Flynn stopped and sighed; he paused for moment, and Belle was sure she had indeed offended him, and now he regretted saving her life.

"No offense taken and you are right in your observation. I'm not human… I'm an elf. The only elf in the Enchanted Forest," he said to Belle's sigh of relief.

"This is amazing- I read about the elves, but I never thought I'd actually meet one. I heard elves like to keep to themselves, stay in their own realm," said Belle.

"It is true we do, but I am not one of those elves…. Now…. We should probably go. I'd rather not be here at the scene of the crime when the innkeeper or one of the servers decides to take a break and inadvertently discovers a slew of dead bodies."

"While I don't really condone murder, you saved my life….. doesn't that count for something?"

"People have never taken too kindly to my lack of humanity. I'm different, which people will always see as a threat….. Come with me. You don't have a place to stay, right?"

Belle was a little hesitant to follow him; for one, she was suspicious that he knew she needed a place to sleep when he said he wasn't in the pub, so he couldn't have possibly known that without reading her mind, and she was sure he wasn't able to do that; nor did she fancy running off into the woods with a complete stranger when he clearly stated that this area was known for sexual crimes. He could have very well saved her, so that he could do the same thing. Belle moved cautiously out of the way, as he walked past her, pulling his gloves off and tucking them under one arm; he picked up a fallen branch from the ground. She studied his movements, as he tucked the branch under his other arm and began to rapidly rub his naked hands together until his hands glowed a bright orange. He took the branch from under his arm and blew a gust of wind onto his hand. Fire erupted from his palm and soared unto the tip of the branch, creating a well-lit torch. Belle shielded her eyes from the fire's intensity, and marveled at what he had just done. Flynn smiled proudly, as she slowly walked towards him, her eyes never leaving the roaring flames.

"That was amazing," she said.

"Eh….. child's play… Shall we go on? My camp is this way," he said pointing into the darkest part of the forest.

Belle swallowed hard; she put one foot forward, but stopped. Flynn chuckled at her; he found her need to be cautious both ridiculous as well as something to be admired.

"I'm not going to hurt you, love. Just trying to help….. look, if your still nervous I'll make you deal. You come stay the night with me, give me some company, and the next morning I'll drop you off at the next inn….. deal?"

Belle did feel somewhat at ease; not because of Flynn's deal, but because his ruthlessness and playful attitude reminded her so much of Rumplestiltskin.

"Very well. I will go with you," said Belle.

"Splendid! Shall we be off?"

Flynn turned to face the forest; he pursed his bottom lip and his teeth together and let out this very loud, very high pitched whistle. Belle had to cover her ears to keep it from piercing her ear drums.

"What was that?" she asked, as she slowly removed her hands from her ears.

Flynn didn't say anything; he merely pointed in the distance, where Belle could see this white figure rapidly approaching. As it came into view, it became clear that it was a horse; a beautiful white work horse, tall and strong, its shiny grey hair flowing behind in the wind. It stopped right in front of them; a cloud of swirling around them. Belle held up her arms and turned away to protect herself; she kept her eyes close for a few more moments, then opened them to see the horse inches from her face. It nayed a bit before blowing a huge cloud of air directly into Belle's face.

"Easy boy," whispered Flynn, as he gently stroked the horse's mane.

It wasn't until then, that Belle realized that this horse was slightly larger than any work horse she had ever seen, and work horses were the largest and strongest horses in the Enchanted Forest.

"Belle….. This is Sir Maximus… Sir Maximus, may I present, the Lady Belle," said Flynn.

Belle was sure he had lost his mind until she heard the most unusual thing she had ever heard in her life, and she lived with Rumplestiltskin for months.

"A pleasure to meet you, my Lady," said the horse, as he bowed.

Without thinking Belle curtsied to return his gesture; it was only a few second into it that she realized how ridiculous this was.

"Your horse can talk?"

"Indeed I can," said Maximus.

"Come, I shall tell you Maximus' story on the way," said Flynn, as he climbed onto Maximus's back. He extended his hand for Belle to take, which she did and he pulled her up behind him with, what Belle guessed was very little effort on his part.

"Hold on," he whispered.

Belle wrapped her arms tightly around him, and they all galloped off into the forest; Flynn holding the reins in one hand and the torch in the other.

Rumple slowly climbed the stairs of the dark dusty library that had once been occupied by the love he let go; and now she was dead, because of him. With flask in hand, he stumbled over a few stairs, grasping the rail to hold himself up; indeed he was drunk, it was the only thing that dulled the pain. One more loved ones gone because the mistakes he made; first his brother, then Bae, now Belle, and yet he still seemed to have learned nothing. He picked up the book that sat alone on the table, and plopped down on the day bed; it smelled of her. The whole room did, that beautiful rosie earthy smell that captivated him every time she got close was now filling his nostrils as if she were actually there lying next to him. He flipped through the tattered pages of the book and began to read. He never really cared for these kinds of books; he liked scholarly texts, books he could truly learn from, particularly magic text books, but in this case reading was the only thing that made him feel close to her.

"So Max here was a great knight….. the best. Isn't that right, Max?"

"Indeed I was," Maximus replied, as they trotted through the forest with Flynn holding the torch high above him.

"So how did you end up being turned into a horse?" asked Belle.

"Well I made a deal…. with the Black Fairy. My wife fell sick; nobody knew what was wrong, so I visited the Black Fairy and begged her to save her. She agreed, but only if I surrendered my title as a knight. She said that a request this large deserved something of equal value in return, but giving up my title would mean giving up my land, my home, my servants, my gold… I wasn't ready to do that. So…. when the time came….. I lied and said I gave it up. Stupid move; she found out and told me that since I went back on my word, and decided not to give up my title and code, two things I valued just as much as my wife's life, then I would spend the rest of my life serving knights who would. Knights who deserved to call themselves so."

Belle breathed a sigh of relief, every time she hears the word "deal" she can't help but apply it to Rumple, and she'd rather not have another reason to be disappointed with him.

"And yet he ended up me. Tough luck, mate," Flynn added.

"It was my fault I suppose. I should have paid up, but I was arrogant, rude, and selfish… qualities most unbecoming of a knight," said Maximus, as he jumped over a log causing Belle to tighten her grip around Flynn's waist.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Max. In these dark times, Knights no longer have codes. It's rare to find one that still does," said Flynn.

"You made a mistake….. at least you acknowledged that much," said Belle. She was thinking of Rumple as she always did. Did he acknowledge that he made a mistake? Did he even care? Was he thinking of her as much as she was thinking about him?

"And what about you, Lady Belle?" asked Max.

"Me?"

"Yes, what are you running from?" asked Flynn, as he turned his head to look at her.

"Who says I'm running?"

He chuckled to himself. "You're a lot easier to read than you think," he said.

"Fine. I'm running from the man I love. If you can call him a man. He broke my heart, so now, I'm just trying to live my life."

"You don't have family? Friends you could run too?"

"Yes, but I didn't much care for my life with them either. I'm free on my own," she said.

"I understand freedom believe me, but be careful on this road. Some the people that travel aren't always as they appear," said Flynn sternly.

"Yes, I… experienced that when you saved me from those ruffians."

"It was my pleasure," said Flynn with a smile.

Belle looked ahead just as they were entering the camp site. Flynn had certainly made a cozy home for himself. A pot stood over a pile of logs and stones, surrounded by a circle of larger logs. Flynn helped Belle off of Maximus before handing her the torch.

"Light the fire, will you?" he asked, as he dismounted.

Belle walked over to the pile of loge and ignited them, then buried the torch into the ground. She watched Flynn help Maximus over a log, before taking off his cloak and laying it across a rock. He was dressed like a prince; his brown leather trousers matched his brown leather boots that were buckled across the tope pf his foot; his aqua vest matched the color of his eyes. Belle admired his beauty, and she couldn't help but continue to compare him to Rumple; they were so much alike. Belle turned suddenly; the faint sounds of running water had reached her ears. One thought came to her mind… bath time.

"Is there a waterfall nearby?" she asked.

"Oh yes, a rather large one."

Max slowly tucked his legs under him while watching Flynn take off his sword belt and throw a quiver of arrows over shoulder.

"Right…. Be back soon," said Flynn.

"Where are you going?"

"You want to eat, don't you? Don't worry, I'll catch us something grand," he said with a mischievous smirk.

Belle watched him disappear through the trees. She rather liked Flynn, but there was so much she didn't know about him. She was sure she had seen him before, and not just at the market place. Yes, he was definitely hiding something, but if anything, she felt that she could genuinely trust him. She looked over at Maximus, hoping to make conversation with him, but he was asleep. Instead, she left the camp and headed for the waterfall. Treading through the forest, she realized she had a long way to go before she was ever used to any of this; it was curious thing, living in the forest. With all the bugs, animals, trees, leaves; how could anyone be used to it. She admired anyone who was; and she desperately wanted to be one of those people. Belle moved a branch out the way and stepped out, where she found herself at the edge of a great pond. Flynn wasn't over exaggerating about the waterfall; it was huge, stretching miles high. She dropped her satchel at the base of a nearby rock; this was her chance to finally take bath. She stripped off all of her clothes, folded them neatly before placing them next to her satchel. She balanced carefully on the slippery rocks; actually slipping a couple of times. Belle took deep breath and dove in. The water was the perfect temperature, and it felt so good to bathe after so long. She swam freely under the water, loving how cool it felt on her bare skin. She resurfaced and playfully spat out a projectile of water. Her hair matted to her face, she brushed out of her eyes, and the next sight gave her such a fright she was pretty sure her heart had stopped for five seconds. On the edge, sat Flynn, staring at her and smiling; she immediately covered herself and turned away in shame.

"What are you doing here?!" she snapped, appalled at the fact that he had not yet averted his eyes.

"You know….. it's never a good idea for a naked woman to be bathing naked in forest in a territory I just told you was known for ruffian's inability to keep it in their pants."

"I haven't bathed in days. I needed it."

Flynn dusted some dirt off his trousers and slowly stood up.

"Know the difference between need and want. Especially if you're going to survive out here," he said.

"Fair enough. Now can you turn around, please?"

"Oh relax….. nothing I haven't seen plenty of times before," he said with a sly smile.

Belle just floated along, covering himself, and flashing him a menacing stare. Flynn wagged his eyebrows a little, but finally gave into Belle's wishes.

"FINE! Hurry up and get dressed. I'll be back at camp," he said, as he walked back through the hedge.

Belle swam over towards the edge; she spotted a large blanket folded neatly on top of the stack of her clothes. Belle couldn't get Flynn out of her head; he was so mysterious. In fact, he reminded her of Rumple most of the time; his childlike playfulness and the power he possessed, but the way he looked after her….. He barely knew her and yet he was looking after her and teaching her all the same; kind of like an older brother. He looked so young, but he has already proven to be so wise beyond his years. She climbed out of the pool and wrapped the blanket around her. She grabbed her clothes, thinking it'd be best to change closer to camp. Belle arrived back at the campsite to see Maximus still sleeping soundly and Flynn reading her book with her satchel wide open at his feet.

"HEY!" yelled Belle, who was furious at him for going through her things.

She snatched the book up, along with her satchel, and stuffed it back inside. The blanket began to fall from her shoulders, and she dropped the bag to pull the hems back over. She looked over at Flynn, whose hands were up in surrender.

"Sorry…. Didn't mean to pry. Lovely book."

"Yeah. I haven't finished it yet. This is the first gift he ever gave me," she whispered. Belle began to feel embarrassed for the way she handled the situation. "Sorry, I'm just….. really protective of this."

"I understand. That book is a load of rubbish by the way. Completely exaggerated," he said as he pulled out one of his rapiers and started cleaning it with a small cloth he pulled from inside his vest pocket.

"Oh how would you know?" asked Belle, slightly annoyed.

"Because I was there. That book is about me," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"You?" Belle couldn't believe it. "You're the heroic captain of The Atlantis? The strongest ship in all the realms?"

"Aye," he said, as he stood up and took an elegant bow. "Captain Flynn Rider at your service," he said proudly. "A bloke I saved from a band of the Jolly Roger's thugs said he was going to write a book about me. Didn't think he'd actually do it. And I wouldn't call me heroic. I've done some terrible things. Killed a lot of men."

Belle took two steps back.

"Oh, relax. You're safe with me, darlin."

Belle smiled and moved back behind the tent to change back into her blue dress. She came back around and sat next to him on a log in front of the fire. He handed her bowl of hot stew, and Belle began eat like she hadn't eaten in days. She had very little, with money scarce, that was all she could afford. The stew was very good; meat, potatoes, carrots, peas all molded together into one amazing dish.

"I trust you like it."

Belle's mouth was stuffed, so all she could manage was an enthusiastic nod. To disperse of the awkward silence between them, Belle decided to find out more about him; especially if they were going to spend the night together.

"Why did you stop being a pirate?" she asked.

"I had other priorities. I was a pirate yes, but I sailed with men who had families to feed. We all had other priorities. Most pirates are greedy, selfish, and blood thirsty."

"Was it fun? Is it everything the book said it was?"

"No… I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's a world where everyone wants to stab you in the back, the King wants you hanged, and everyone wants to make name for themselves by killing being the first to kill you. Not exactly the adventure and glory books make it out to be."

"Why did you become a pirate in the first place?"

"Another pirate destroyed my family. For revenge, I swore that I would make his life a living hell," said Flynn, twirling around the elegant blade in his hands.

"Vengeance wouldn't have fixed the problem," said Belle.

"No, but what is the purpose of vengeance? To make you feel slightly better for whatever you've lost….. That's what I was looking for at the time. It gave me joy to torment him, and I would happily to do it again. Vengeance is my way of serving justice," said Flynn

Belle listened to his words, and while he was half right, she couldn't possibly believe that a life of vengeance was happiness for anyone.

"I think you're wrong…. And I think by taking vengeance you are waistin your life," she said.

"You may be right, but I've got nothing else better to do." He took a swig of whiskey from the bottle next to him. "Besides where do you get all these philosophies? Was it from that shite of a book you were reading?"

"No….. from pure logic," she said happily.

Flynn scoffed and gently put his sword back in its sheath. He placed a bundle up blanket behind his head to support it against the hard log, then folded his hands across his belly and looked up at the stars.

"You know, if you hate the book so much, why don't you just right your own?" asked Belle.

Belle took the other blanket and laid it on the cold ground. Flynn watched her, all the while thinking of her latest suggestion.

"Write my own book?"

"Yeah. You've got a lot to teach. It might be good for someone one day."

"Hmph… Nahhhh!" he waved it off and turned over to go to sleep.

Belle shook her head and rolled her eyes before laying her head on a rolled up portion of the blanket, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Belle woke up with her head bobbing and something moving underneath her. He opened her eyes and frantically grabbed on to the first mass she could find, which happened to be Flynn's torso.

"Morning!" he exclaimed like this was the norm.

"What's going on?"

"Well I said I would take you to the next tavern, didn't I? I don't break deals."

"Thank you, but…. You couldn't wait until I awakened?" she asked frantically.

"No. I couldn't. I do apologize, but some of those not so friendly men we talked about before weren't too far away, so we had to move earlier than expected."

"How did you get me on the horse without waking me?" asked Belle, as she squinted at the bright sunlight, while twisting her head back and forth, surveying their surroundings.

"I used a touch of magic to gently place you on the back. No harm done."

"Thank you."

"A deals a deal, lasse. I told you, you would be safe with me."

Belle smiled, and placed her head against Flynn's back. He smiled uncomfortably, and thrashed the reigns to move a bit faster. They arrived at the next inn a few hours later; smoke spilled from the chimney indicating a crowd inside. Flynn helped Belle off the horse; she adjusted her bag and stared back up at a smiling elf. Admittedly she enjoyed Flynn's company and did not want to leave his side.

"I have a present for you….. hold out your hand," he said.

She did as she was told; Flynn waved his hand, there was cloud of red smoke and a new outfit appeared in Belle's hands; the boots were laying on top. Belle placed the boots on the ground and unfolded the clothing. It was beautiful leather; burgundy with tan hooded lace underneath; a small dagger was attached to the belt.

"If you're going to travel on these roads, you at least need to look like you're a force to be reckoned with," said Flynn.

"It's beautiful. Thank you."

"Of course… Oh, and there's this too," he said pulling out a book from the bag hanging from his saddle and handing it to her.

Belle took the book and ran her fingertips over the straw cover and the brown leather bind. It was so unique and beautiful she wanted to cry. She flipped through the pages holding different symbols, a different language she was luckily familiar with.

"I don't know what to say."

"I have a feeling that you will have more uses for that book than I will," he said.

"Thank you so much, Flynn."

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, Lady Belle."

"I don't even have anything to pay you with," said Belle

"Just take care of yourself. That's enough for me," said Flynn with a smile.

"Good luck, Flynn."

"And to you, Belle," he said as he reared Maximus around.

"Oh… Goodbye Sir Maximus!" yelled Belle, waving.

"It was a pleasure, Lady Belle!" the horse replied with a nay.

Belle smiled and went inside to get a bite to eat. Flynn reached the crossroad when Maximus asked:

"You're really not going to leave her alone are you?"

"Of course not. We'll keep a close eye on her like we did before," Flynn whispered.

Belle sat alone at her table amongst the other commotion in the inn; Flynn's book propped open in front of her, she took a giant gulp of mead from her cup. Across form her, she could clearly hear the discussion about a monstrous beast from a group of hunters sitting around a poster for a reward to kill some animal called a Yaoguai.

"It's a fearsome beast ravaging a faraway kingdom. It's eyes burn with fire. They call it the Yaoguai. No man has been able to kill him. There's room on our wagon….. Who will join us?" asked the scrawny man with beady eyes and a twisted demeanor.

Belle watched them intensely, smiling at thought of being the one to kill the monster. This could very well be the adventure she was hoping for; but was she ready to handle it? With no fighting or hunting experience; what good was she to any of them? She smiled and grazed her lips with her fingers in her usual thinking pose. Ultimately, she dismissed the idea as her being impulsive and decided to stay put.

"Looking for an adventure?" asked a familiar voice in front of her.

"Dreamy, right?" Belle was happy to see him again; he seemed like a very kind person.

"Fancy seeing you here…. Thought you still might be at the previous inn back the other way,"

"It didn't have any room for me."

"Oh, well I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to thank you, for the advice you gave me last night." He pulled up chair and sat across form her. "Nova and I are running away together."

"That's wonderful!" Belle said happily, grabbing his hand.

She looked over at the group of hunters again. Dreamy noticed, and it wasn't hard to notice that her head was saying "no", but her heart was saying "yes".

"Why don't you sign up?"

"I've always dreamt of heroics, but I think it safer if I stick to my books… there the only adventures I know that have happy endings."

"Maybe this one will have one too," he said with a swig if his drink.

"Ehhhh… I doubt it…. Last time I faced a beast…. It didn't end well," said Belle solemnly, as she fought back the tears.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused as ever.

"MEN! Follow me…. The Yaoguai awaits!" said the leader.

"Get on that wagon…. Go…. Take a chance," said Dreamy.

Belle squirmed a little, she was having an argument in her own head, and eventually, her impulsive nature kicked in. That was it; she wanted to be a hero and this was her chance. She closed her book, flashed him a sweet smile, and gave that cute laugh whenever she got excited.

"Thank you," she said happily, as she stuffed her book back into her satchel and made her way over to the group now heading out the door.

"Wait! Belle…. Wait!" Dreamy called.

Belle stopped and turned to se him jogging over to her. "It's fairy dust…. Might come in handy," he said handing her a small pouch.

"Oh no… thank you, but I've seen what magic does to people." The last thing she wanted was to suffer the same way Rumple was. Magic changed him…. So much that he was blind to all love; the only thing he now cared about was the magic.

"You've seen what dark magic can do. Fairies use this dust for good….. Now, go be a hero."

Belle smiled again, and gently patted his shoulder. "Thanks, Dreamy." He nodded and watched her join the others outside.


	6. A Heart of Courage

Belle ducked behind a tree and quickly changed into the outfit that Flynn had given her moments ago; it fit perfectly. She quickly stuffed her blue dress into her satchel and joined the rest of the group in front of the inn. The leader helped five other men onto the wagon before looking at Belle with disdain like she was some kind of insect.

"Run along little girl. No room for skirts on this wagon," he said.

"I can help you…. I know about the creature. Where to track it, what it eats, how it thinks. You are hunters aren't you? Isn't this information valuable?" Belle asked.

In truth she was lying; she knew nothing about this creature, but she wanted so desperately to be a part of something like this that she didn't care. She wanted to be a bloody hero. The leader looked her up and down once more and nibbled at his bottom lip, trying to make a decision.

"Very well. You can come, but leave the hunting to the men," he said as he climbed onto the wagon.

"Spphhh….I'd much rather let the creature eat me alive all the same," said Belle under her breath.

"What was that?" he snapped back.

"I said….uh… what's your name?" asked Belle saving herself.

"Claude."

"I'm Belle-"

"Don't care….. Are you coming or not?"

Belle shook her head in annoyance, then climbed on the back of the wagon just as it was pulling off. She reached into her satchel and opened the book Flynn had given her, but it was not the same as when she had opened it earlier. It was written in the same odd language, yes, but now it only contained information about the Yaoguai. Everything from its habitat, to its diet, to its biology. Then Belle remembered Flynn's last words to her; the same words that now gave Belle a certainty that he knew these hunters would be in the pub, and he knew she would want to join up with them. Belle couldn't help but smile and think of him fondly; he didn't have to help her, but he did so without question. And now he had done so again by giving her this book. She admired him; he was tough on the outside, and a sea of secrets on the inside. She ran her gloved hand over the smooth pages; feeling the embroidery of the words. She loved that feeling ever since she was little; the feeling of the bold ink against her finger tips on a fresh book; wonderful. Belle had gotten lost in the book she was reading, learning everything she could about the creature she was hunting; she had gotten so lost that when she finally looked up she had no idea where they were or how they got there. That was usually the way of things with her; getting wrapped up in a good book and finding herself in places without knowing how she ended up there.

"Excuse me, sir… where are we?" she asked the man sitting next to her.

"We are on the path to the black mountains," the leader interjected.

Belle gave him a smile as thanks, then turned back to her book. Claude inched closer and leaned over to examine what Belle was reading.

"What's that?" he asked.

"A book. I trust you've seen one before" mouthed off Belle sarcastically.

"You expect defeat the most fearsome creature in the land…. With a book?" he asked in disbelief.

"Maybe she means to bore it to death," said the driver, which caused to share a hearty laugh.

"It will tell us how to find the Yaoguai," snapped Belle.

Claude let out a loud huff and quickly snatched the book from her; Belle became rather annoyed with the man, but let him examine the book anyway.

"These are just scribbles….. and there are no pictures."

"Some people like to use their imaginations… and if you actually read the book you would see that there are some pictures," said Belle as she carefully took the book back, taking extra care to not damage the pages.

"How can you understand that nonsense?"

"It's called another language…. One that I know how to translate," she said flipping through the pages. "Huh…"

"What? What does it say?" he asked, demanding the answer.

"Oh I thought it was just scribbles," said Belle with a bit more snark.

"We're here to protect the land, girl. If you know something about the creature's whereabouts then you will share it with us."

Belle rolled her eyes; her dislike for her traveling companions was quickly increasing, and she was cautionary about her trust them. She weighed the chances of them double crossing her after she gave them the information. They already had nil respect for women in any male like position. She thought about it for a few more moments then decided to test the waters.

"It says we'll find the Yaoguai at the lake."

"You heard her boys! Set course for the lake!" Claude shouted over his shoulder.

Just as Belle was starting to think she was wrong about her fellow hunters, a foot shoved her off the edge and she fell to the rocky ground with a thud.

"Wait!" shouted Belle.

"Don't forget your book!"said Claude as he tossed off the side and it hit the ground at her feet.

Belle picked it up and dusts it off; and as she watched the cart pull away, she smiled at her own cleverness for she did not give them the real location in the even that this might happen.

"Enjoy the lake!" she called out simple before opening the book again and reading: "The Yaoguai prefers mountain habitats to all others….the Yaoguai hibernates by day and hunts by night….. Fascinating."

Little did Belle know that Flynn was watching her closely behind the bushes. On top of Sir Maximus, he glared menacingly at the blurred cart, as it quickly became nothing more than a black dot in the distance.

"She's brilliant, isn't she?" he asked, admiring her cleverness and quick adaptation.

"Indeed she is," Maximus responded.

"Take a note of their faces, Max. I have a feeling we'll be seeing them again," said Flynn through gritted teeth. Indeed he wanted nothing more than to slit each one of their throats for the injustice they had served upon Belle, but he knew patients was a virtue; and it was not their time just yet.

"Shall we continue to follow her then?" asked Max.

"Yes…." He watched her walk across the grassy plains, reading her book and humming happily to herself. "She's a diamond in the ruff, Max….. just like her mother," said Flynn.

He let out a clicking sound and steered Maximus towards the edge of the Grey Mountains.

Belle arrived feet away from the creature's lair; it was a pitch black cave nestled between two large oak trees. She could clearly hear the beast snoring, as jets of air came shooting out of the darkness. Belle reached for her dagger and whipped it out; she slowly began to tip toe her way to the entrance. One foot in front of the other, then SNAP, her foot stepped on a branch and she winced hoping the creatures would not stir. A few moments of silence went by; she peered into the cave, but her eyes found nothing but darkness, and she was relieved to find that she had not woken it. Then she heard a faint growl, a rustling inside; Belle's heart leapt and without thinking really, she bolted away from the cave entrance. The Yaoguai, a scolding red creature with the look of a lion with a flaming mane came rushing out of the cave, sprinting after Belle. She could hear the monster quickly closing in, so she began to run faster, but she tripped over a root in the ground. She could feel the beast on top of her, and just as she thought she had met her end, an arrow just barely missed the creature sending it leaping over her. Belle got a glimpse at the beast, who's burning red hot eyes glared back at her. It let out a fierce growl, then ran off into the forest to escape its assailant. Belle turned to see her savior running towards her removing the helmet that shielded, a face belonging to a very beautiful woman with sun kissed skin and long dark hair. She looked to be a native of the language written in the book she was using to track the Yaoguai. The stranger helped her to her feet.

"However can I thank you? You saved my life."

"And you ruined my hunt. It took me weeks to track the Yaoguai here."

Belle turned to pick the book of the ground; this was not what she was expecting. She didn't really know what to say. It wasn't her intention to ruin this woman's hunt.

"I found it in a day," Belle said proudly.

"You have lucky on your side then, girl."

"Not luck… it was this," said Belle holding up the dirty book. "I can help you find it again," indeed Belle was hopeful to have a partner in this. Especially another woman, someone who was doubted and looked down upon just for being woman.

"No. you've done enough damage already. If you really want to help…. Stay out of my way," she said coldly before walking off towards the creature's trail.

Belle could do nothing but watch her leave. Maybe it was for the best; doing this alone. Belle waited a few more minutes before following the Yaoguai's trail herself.

Flynn watched her from above; squatting on a low branch on the tallest pine tree, he watched Belle walk on, opening the book once more. He could see she was struggling, and had no idea how to properly hunt or defend herself. He whistled for Maximus, who appeared below him naying and shaking his head. Flynn gracefully leaped from the branch and landed perfectly on Max's saddle. He flicked the reigns and they sped off into a different direction, sure to keep Belle in his sights and out of hers.

The trail led Belle to a small town; more natives to her language in her book filled the market selling fish of all sorts, piled high on tables or hanging by the dozen from racks. She couldn't help but smile at the bustling life here in such a small place. Belle waltzed through the market as if she belonged there, and soon spotted a well in the center of this tiny world. It was just what she needed….. fresh water; something she now lacked. She placed her book along with her cantina at the edge and tossed the bucket below. Once it was full, she began to hoist it up. She could actually taste the cool liquid, and it wasn't until then that she realized how thirsty she was. Then she suddenly found herself upside down hanging on to the edge, threatening to fall headfirst into a rather shallow well.

Yelping, she was silenced by hand across her mouth.

"Silence girl, or we'll do more than just drop you into a well," came a familiar voice before sensually sniffing her hair.

Belle pulled away slightly and spotted Claude leaning casually next to her.

"The Yaoguai wasn't at the lake," said Claude through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry I must have misread that one," said Belle, knowing full well what she had done.

"You know what I think? I think you lead us to the wrong spot on purpose-"

Belle barely caught the wisp of an arrow shoot by and strike Claude directly in the shoulder. He fell back howling in pain. Belle looked up and saw Flynn with both swords in hand slowly approaching them with such intense focus on his opponent.

"If you value both of them I suggest you take your hands off the girl," said Flynn menacingly.

The other one, the one who was driving the cart set Belle down gently and yanked out his sword. Flynn took a few steps closer, unafraid and confident, he stared him down. Belle looked at her assailant; he was sweating bullets and trembling like a scared bunny. The whole market was watching now, and with a war cry the scared man bolted towards Flynn with his sword held high. And just like a rehearsed dance and the skills of a veteran, Flynn simply ducked just as his opponent's sword slashed at his head, leaving himself wide open. Flynn plunged both swords into his gut; Belle watched in horror as the blood ripped from the two rapiers protruding out of her assailant. She saw Flynn crack a smile, and he quickly yanked them back out, twirled them around placed the back into the sheaths.

"We have to stop meeting like this," said Flynn with a smile.

"Did you have to kill him?" asked Belle unable to take her eyes off the now dead body lying face down on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

"Yes I did," he replied a matter of factly.

Flynn could hear the disapproval in her voice, but if she insisted on living a life on the run….. killing was a necessary ordeal.

"How did you know I was here?" asked Belle,

"I didn't. I just happen to be passing through." Flynn thought it best to not tell Belle that he had been watching over her the entire time. The time would come when all will be revealed.

"It seems that you need assistance in this quest of yours. I offer my services….. And not to sound like I have a big head, but it seems that you could really use them."

Belle rolled her eyes at him, but she knew he was right. "Very well," she said.

"Excellent. Shall we be off?"

Belle nodded and followed closely behind. Suddenly, there are a few screams erupting from the crowd; Belle turned to see Claude charging at them with the arrow that was once stuck in his shoulder, held high above his head, ready to strike. Flynn with lightning fast reflexes whipped out his rather large hunting knife and held it high, but his actions were proven unnecessary when Claude was hit by a flying bolas that wrapped itself around him and forced him to the ground. Flynn looked, as did Belle, to find their savior in the crowd. Belle recognized her immediately; it was the girl she had encountered earlier after the Yaoguai attack by the cave. Flynn approached a struggling Claude; he tightened his grip on the hilt of his knife, then looked up at the strange women who had saved them.

"My deepest thanks, my lady… You should have stayed down mate," said Flynn.

He lifted the knife into the air then brought it crashing down. The strange women whipped out her own sword and caught Flynn's knife right at the hilt, blocking his attack. Flynn looked at her in utter disbelief.

"What is the meaning of this?!" asked Flynn with anger and devastation in his voice.

"He does not need to die…. Go! And slink back to the pick from which you came."

Claude leapt to his feet and ran back through the crowd. Flynn violently gripped the hem of her armor and brought her inches from his face.

"Don't ever get between me and a threat. He is a threat. You should have let me kill him when I had the chance. He's sure to cause trouble in the future," Flynn snarled.

"How can you be so sure?' the stranger asked.

Flynn let her go, and placed his knife back into the loop on his belt. "Cowards like him don't take to being defeated by woman so easily. He'll want retribution for that humiliation." He looked around the larger group of spectators and suddenly felt very uncomfortable with the amount of attention they had gathered. "We need to leave…. NOW….. we've made to much noise here."

Belle whole heartedly agreed, as she glanced over the large crowd now staring at them with terrified expressions, as if they feared they'd be the next ones to fall.

"Belle, let's go," said Flynn, motioning her to follow him.

"Wait!" called the strange woman.

"I can help you…. You tracked the Yaoguai in a day; no one has been able to track it as fast as you. We can work together. You track the beast and I'll kill it."

"If I recall, you weren't too keen on her help in the first place," said Flynn.

Belle looked up at him with wide eyes, surprised that he knew about that when he just said that he happened upon her in the marketplace. She knew then that there was definitely more to Flynn than he was letting on.

"I would be honored to team with you," said Belle.

"Wonderful…. I'm Mulan by the way," she said.

"Belle."

"Flynn Rider."

"Nice to meet you both…. Shall we?" directed Mulan.

As they walked back towards the village gate, Belle grabbed Flynn by the arm.

"Can you teach me how to hunt….. the proper way?"

"Like how to swing a sword or fire an arrow?" asked Flynn, surprised by her request.

"Exactly. As you said, a life on the run isn't easy. I need to learn how to defend myself."

"Very well…. I will teach you, but I warn you, I'm not an easy teacher," he said.

"I don't want to learn fancy sword techniques. I just want to learn the basics."

"Oh…. Fine."

Prince Charming sprinted through the forest, stepping in puddles and leaping over logs; he was trying to find a way home, back to Snow White, his true love. Regina had placed her under a sleeping curse in an attempt to exact her final revenge. Charming knew he had a very limited amount of time left before the curse would take over and she would be lost in eternal sleep forever. Only now, Regina had transported him into a rather large forest with no end in sight. He finally stopped to take a breather, leaning on a tree for support; he tried to steady his breathing after running for what seemed like hours.

"Lost are we?" came a squeally voice from behind.

Charming gripped the hilt of his sword and abruptly turned to face the source of the voice, laying his upon Rumplestiltskin, dressed in brown leather and a shredded cloak, sitting casually on a log and smiling.

"You. What are you doing here?" asked Charming, none too pleased to see the imp.

"I'm just here to help."

"Well no need I'll be fine," said Charming as he turned to leave.

"No, I don't think so….. You see, this is the infinite forest. There's no way out….. Well except…. My way.

"I want nothing from you," said Charming coldly.

"Not even this?" asked Rumple holding up a beautiful silver ring with a green gemstone.

Charming looked very surprised indeed. "My mother's ring….. How did you get it?!" he asked, demanding an answer.

Rumple slipped off the log and began to make his way to him. "The same way I get everything I want….. Magic. The same magic that allows me to do this-" Rumple flipped the ring into the air and caught it on his palm; only now it was erupting a dim, but beautiful white light. "This ring is now enchanted. The closer you get to Snow White the brighter it will glow. Interested?"

"Give it to me," Charming demanded.

"Ah….. It's not something for nothing, dearie. Time to make a deal."

NO! No more deals!" Charming swung his sword, Rumple ducked out the way just in time.

Rumple thought he'd play with the prince for a bit, knowing that there was no way Charming would win this fight. He swung the sword again; this time Rumple caught it between his fingers. Charming pulled out and went for it again; Rumple vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Over here!" he shouted, now standing behind him with his favorite sword drawn. Charming came at him again slashing and hacking; Rumple blocking every blow with his own sword. His sword came down with both hands, only Rumple had disappeared again. He appeared behind him again, and tapped his sword on his shoulder to get his attention.

"Persistent," said Rumple, who was most certainly now toying with him.

Charming took out a short sword and they resumed their dual; Rumple was growing tired of it and wanted the battle to end quickly. He caught his sword up in the Prince's spun them around and charged forward, holding the crossed swords at Charming's neck. Inches away from his face; he taunted him:

"Had enough?"

"Never!" bellowed the Prince.

Charming pushed Rumple away and swung his sword again, finally hitting its mark and cutting Rumple's cheek. Rumple smiled evilly at him and touched the wound with his thumb; he looked at it, then looked at him, then licked the blood from his thumb. Now he was angry; Rumple came at him full force; he brought his sword down hard for a fierce blow, then followed it up with much faster, but equally fierce blows that had the Prince's back against the walls. Rumple kneed him in the gut, then hit the back of his head with the butt if his sword, and finally threw him across the clearing directly into a tree. Charming feel to the ground with a loud thud; the tree snapped and collapsed behind him. Charming realized he had lost his sword and scrambled to find it, but Rumple was now standing over him with his own sword pressed against his throat.

"Looking for this?" asked Rumple playfully. "So brave….. so gallant… so pointless. Bravery won't get you out of this forest, dearie. Magic will… trust me….. this is a deal you'll want to make, because we both want the same thing."

"And what's that?" asked the Prince, his interest now peaking.

"Why you and your true love to be together of course."

Flynn tied Maximus to a tree near where they decided to make camp for the night. He picked up his bow and a quiver of arrows, then made his way over to Belle, who was eagerly flipping through the book he had given her.

"I'm glad to see that book is serving you well," he said.

Belle chuckled. "Yes….. thank you."

"Follow me," he said.

Belle furrowed her brow, not sure where he was going with this. She placed the book beside her on the log and got up to join him. Treading through this part of the forest wasn't easy Belle nearly tripped several times and her hood kept getting caught on smaller branches. And after walking through a spider web, Belle was pretty much fed up with her environment.

"How much longer?" she asked irritated.

"We're here," he said.

Flynn held a branch out of her way, as she stepped into another clearing. She looked around, and saw a painted white target on a tree about 40 feet away from them. Flynn handed her his bow and dropped the quiver of arrows at her feet.

"So, here is your first lesson," he said handing her an arrow. "String it up," said Flynn.

Belle just stared at him with a blank expression. He smiled at her, then took her hand and placed the back of the arrow in between her fingers.

"The string locks in this slot here… hold the arrow with these two fingers. With your left arm fully extended hold the bow. Make sure your index finger on your left hand is holding the arrow straight, if not the arrow could go anywhere. Now, hold it up, pull the arrow back….. right index finger….. hold her steady…. And-"

Belle prematurely let the arrow fly hitting the tree just below its mark. Flynn looked on amazed that she could come that close on her first try.

"Sorry, it was an accident," said Belle.

"Hmmmmm….. Not bad for a cock up… Take another arrow," he commanded.

Belle did as she was told.

"String it up." Flynn watched her with very little difficulty repeat the step he had just shown her. "You have the target aimed?"

"Yes."

"Let her fly."

Belle let go; the arrow shot forward, and this time hit the target, just not dead center.

"Excellent," Flynn praised. "I can see you are disappointed… Here, the keys to archery are breathing, relaxing, and having a keen eye. You do have a keen eye, Belle, but you aren't breathing and relaxing. Don't think too much…. Don't worry about who's watching or what's happening around you. In those crucial few seconds, your target is the only thing that exists. And you're holding your breath too long. You don't want to get light headed. Only hold your breath in the last millisecond….when you're absolutely ready to fire. Now, off you go."

Belle raised her bow once again, only this time took Flynn's advice into account. She closed her eyes; emptying her mind of all distractions. Nothing else existed except the target; only the tree and herself. She took a few deep breaths, opened her eyes, held the last breath and released the arrow. It wisped past Flynn and plunged itself dead center into the tree. Belle dropped her arms in exhaustion; her chest heaving up and down, she had not realized how long she had held her breath until now. Flynn placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and kneeled beside her.

"Very good, Belle… Very good indeed. A teacher couldn't ask for a better student." He gathered up the bow and slung the quiver across his shoulder. Belle staggered to her feet; beating her head to quit the disorientation. Flynn waved his hand and the arrows protruding from the tree, shot back into his hand, before placing them back into the quiver. "Can't afford to lose arrows now," said Flynn. "Now…. On to the next step. Come over here."

Belle followed him over to a pile of leaves. He used his foot to brush them aside, revealing three sets of animal tracks.

"Next step is knowing your enemy. Know its tracks, its smell, its movements, what it eats, how it thinks….. This can be applied to both human and animal. Can you tell which animal these tracks belong too?"

Belle examined them; tracing the lines of the tracks and measuring how deep into the ground the tracks were with her fingers.

"I'd say….. a deer."

"Very good, said Flynn. Belle looked up at him and noticed his ears slightly twitch, fold out and fold back in like a dog. "It seems that you won't have too far to go," he whispered.

Belle over in the direction Flynn was looking; there was rustling in the trees and the deer jumped out; casually grazing about twenty yards away. Flynn pulled her low into the grass with them, so that their prey would not spot them.

"Well….. now is your time….. you wanted to learn, and you will. There's your target. Kill it."

Belle's eyes widened; she looked at him as if he just said those last few words in a foreign language. She was so nervous the grip she still had on the bow threatened to break it into.

"I can't," she whispered.

Flynn rolled his eyes; it was true he was growing impatient with her killing principle, but he also did not want to scare her.

"Why do we kill, Belle? We kill to survive. That animal walking and grazing innocently in front of you is your food source. You cannot survive on plants alone… not in this world anyway. What will you do when someone or something has your loved one by the throat? Will you watch them die because you are too afraid to kill?"

"I would find another option," said Belle.

"There is no other option in this scenario. You are a gentle person, Belle You on not like to hurt."

"Heroes don't kill," said Belle.

"Real heroes know when killing is necessary and when it's not. They make the hard choices no one else can. They protect at the expense of their own souls," said Flynn. He gently wrapped his finger around her wrist. "You are a strong person, Belle, but your strength needs nourishment. It's up to you. Do you want to survive?"

Belle reflecting on his words with her eyes still locked on the deer. Her heart pounded in her chest, her stomach churned, and her mind raced. Flynn watched her leap to her feet, draw the arrow and fir it. The deer tried to run, but was imminently struck in its neck with the arrow. Flynn smiled, as it collapsed, letting out small wines of pain and fear. A tear fell down Belle's cheek, as she approached the now dead deer.

"Come….. Kneel with me," said Flynn, kneeling down beside the broken animal.

Belle did as she was told and watched him place a gentle hand on the deer's wound. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against his fist.

"Giliath o' tarn; lye hantalë lle ten' sina mereth ar' estela tanya lle manar sina penda laven e' i' ale' coia," he whispered in elvish.

"What are you doing?" asked Belle.

"I'm thanking the stars and this animal for its sacrifice. It is how we elves hunt. We respect the land we live on and all its wonders."

"Can you teach me that... that prayer?"

"Well-" Flynn stopped and looked up at the darkness in the trees as if something was distracting him. He began to sniff the air, and his ears twitched back and forth more rapidly this time. Belle looked around; all was quiet for her, nor could she smell anything, but Flynn was getting something. "It seems that will have to wait until another time," he said. He crawled to his feet and held out his hand to help her up. They stood side by side, Belle looking rather confused.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes searching the trees, trying to locate the problem.

"We have company," he whispered, as he took out his hunting knife and bended his knees in attack position. "Grab those arrows….. be ready."

"I don't see anything….. Maybe it's just Mulan," said Belle.

"No. It isn't Mulan," he said.

Belle could now here the faint sounds of growling; they grew louder and louder as the seconds past, and were soon followed by pairs of glowing yellow eyes popping up around them. Belle quickly bent down to pick up the bow and quiver of arrows. She strung up her bow and aimed; a pack of wolves emerged from the darkness. Encircling them, they bared their teeth, as saliva dripped heavily from their mouths. Flynn and Belle stood back to back, ready to strike at any second. One wolf howled and leaped forward, threatening to clamp its jaws in Flynn's hip; he caught it in midair and threw into a nearby tree. Belle could hear the wolf's bones crack and break, as it collided with the oak's trunk and hit the ground. After that, all the wolves came at once. Belle fired an arrow, hitting one of them in the neck. She quickly took out another arrow and fired again, hitting another in the abdomen. She tried to reach for a third arrow, but a wolf had managed to tackle her; it bit down on her hood and twirled her roughly, forcing her to the ground. She looked up at Flynn, who was slashing and beating for his survival. Belle held the wolf's large jaws apart, losing strength as it fought her; wanting to eat him alive.

"Flynn!" Belle called desperately.

Flynn looked up and waved his hand; pushing the wolf attacking Belle into a rock wall covered in moss. Blood spattered across the rock, as the wolf lie dead at its base. Just then, the last wolf had clamped its jaws on Flynn's shoulder. Flynn screamed in pain, and managed to throw the beast off, but it came back for more, this time sinking its teeth in his arm. Mulan came running through the bushes with her sword held high, she swung at the beast, but missed; she yelped as it bit her lower calf and dragged her a few feet. Belle strung up her third arrow again, aimed, and fired, hitting the last wolf in the head. She looked around at the carnage before them; several bodies of dead wolves lay across the clearing. Flynn lie face down in the center; a pool of his own blood slowly began to pool around him. Belle kneeled down next to him; cradling his head and shaking him.

"Flynn! Flynn!" she called. Belle could see Mulan limping towards her. "Flynn, please don't die!" she pleaded.

"Belle, we have to get him back to camp….. I'll get his feet," said Mulan.

They both, with great difficulty, carried Flynn back to camp. He wasn't overweight, but his muscles made him heavy; he was a very large man. They gently laid him down on a set of blankets in front of the fire. Max stirred restlessly, trying to break away from the tree to help his rider. Belle held up a reassuring hand to calm him down.

"Shhhhh…. It's alright, Max," said Belle.

Max began to buck less and settled on pacing back and forth. Mulan took out two rolls of bandages from her pack.

"I saw some medicine flowers not too far from here. Can you get me some?" asked Belle, taking the bandages from her.

Mulan nodded and left to go find the plant. Belle smiled down at her friend, pushing a few stray hairs out of his face. She pressed her ear against his chest; his heart was only slightly below normal which was a fairly good sign. Mulan returned with the plant a few moments later.

"Excellent. Could you put them in a bowl and crush them, for me?" Belle asked.

"Sure." Mulan did as she was told, then handed the bowl to Belle. She rubbed some of the plant on his open wounds, then placed a bandage over it. She wrapped his arm in three layers of bandages, as it was still bleeding profusely. After she finished; a loud roar came from the village that had visited earlier. Mulan limped over to the edge of the cliff, and saw the burning symbol of the Yaoguai etched into the land.

It's the Yaoguai," said Mulan, returning to kneel beside them "It's terrorizing the fisherman's village."

Belle looked surprised to hear how close the creature was. She looked down at Flynn, who was still unconscious.

"Here… you need this," said Mulan, handing Belle her sword.

"What's this?"

"A sword."

"Yeah, but what's it for?" asked Belle.

"You have to go fight the Yaoguai-"

"No."

"-you must do it now, while the beast remains at a good distance... and you'll be a hero. I can't fight, my leg is too damaged."

"Here….. let me put something on that," said Belle, reaching for her injured leg.

"No." Mulan pulled away. "I'll be fine."

"Belle….." Flynn whispered. "You can beat it; I know you can. You adapt well to new circumstances. You have a heart of courage, Belle. You must believe in yourself. I know you won't let those people down. This isn't about winning some prize anymore… it's about protecting the innocent, because that's what heroes do… and you are a hero."

"Yes. Very well," said Belle, as she stood up. She handed her book to Mulan. "Keep this safe for me. And look after him, he means a lot," said Belle; she turned and walked back towards the edge of the cliff. Belle spotted the fiery beast, pacing back and forth across the field. She leaped over the cliff, sliding down the hill and using her dagger as a break. She leapt forward and rolled into the tall grass; using the grass for cover, she crawled towards the path to be sure that she was behind it. She wanted to lure him into the now empty market. She left the cover of the grass her heart beating heavily in her chest; she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and remembered Flynn's words. She opened them again, smiled, and frantically waved her hands in the sir to get the beast's attention.

"Hey! Over here! Over here!" she yelled.

The beast looked up at her, and as soon as it did so, she ran in the opposite direction towards the market; the beast bolting after her. She entered the gates, ran down the stairs, and across the center where she had been saved by Flynn mere hours earlier. But, she found herself at a dead end. She looked around for anything that could help her, and then she noticed the small water tower next to her, and a plan began to formulate in her mind. She turned just as the Yaoguai came creeping around the corner. Belle yanked out her sword ready to strike; the beasts sprung at her, and Belle swung her sword at the water tower cutting it down; the water hit the beast in midair, knocking it to the ground and extinguishing the flames around it. Belle moved cautiously around, sure to not get too close and gripping her sword, she watched it writher around, moving its claw across the ground and moaning. Belle focused on its claw, as it made lines in the mud; it had become apparent now that it was writing something.

"You're… you're writing something." Belle turned her head trying to make out the symbols. It was writing in the same language that was written in her book. "Save me," she read aloud. "You need help."

Belle sheathed her sword, and felt absentmindedly around her belt for something that could help even though she knew there was nothing there. Her hand fell on a small pouch tied to the back of her belt; she pulled it around and remembered that it was the fairy dust Dreamy had given her in the pub.

"A friend tells me this is used for good. Let's see what it can do, shall we?"

Belle sprinkled the dust over the beast; there was a cloud of pink smoke and when it cleared, a man dressed shining armor appeared in its place. He groaned it hoisted himself to his knees. Belle studied him, curious of how he went from a young handsome man to ferocious beast. He looked at his now human hands and smiled. His eyes met Belle's for the first time and his smile grew wider.

"The curse… I think you broke it," he said in a deep smooth voice.

"Someone did this to you?"

"Yes. Maleficent, an evil sorceress. She wanted to do everything in her power to keep me apart from Aurora, my true love. So she exiled me to this land, and turned me into a monster. I tried to warn the villagers, but nobody understood who I really was….. Except you," he said.

"Well, you're not the first beast I faced."

"I am forever in your debt, please….. tell me how I can repay you,' he said clutching at his sides that were obviously paining him.

"My friends are injured….. one very severely. They need a doctor. Help me bring them back to the village," said Belle.

"It would be my honor. I'm Phillip by the way."

"Belle."

Belle simply nodded and motioned for him to follow her back to their camp site.

Rumple pulled a small vile containing a sparkly purple liquid out of his vest pocket and held it up in front of Charming.

"Behold, the most powerful magic of all, true love….. I finally managed to bottle it," said Rumple.

Charming reached out to grab it, but Rumple pulled back.

"Ah….. Careful…. This is all I have left of it."

"What do you know of true love?" asked Charming, convinced that the monster that stood before could know absolutely nothing about true love.

"Well not so much as you perhaps, but not so little as you might think."

"You? You loved someone?"

"It was a….. brief flicker of light amongst an ocean of darkness."

"What happened?"

"She died…. That's thing about true love, dearie it can slip through your fingers. It's the most powerful magic in all the realms. The only magic powerful enough to break any curse; it must be protected at all costs."

"I don't understand… What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you to help me protect it. By putting it in a safe place for me," said Rumple. He waved his hand and a large case shaped like a golden egg appeared in his hand. He opened it and placed the potion inside.

"And where's that?"

"Why inside the belly of a beast of course," he said tossing the case into Charming's arms.

"Why hide it?"

"Let's just say….. I'm saving it for a rainy day," said Rumple with an evil laugh and his signature delighted squeal.

Belle led Phillip through the forest; she spotted Mulan sitting on the log and reading her book.

"My friends should be over this ridge. There-" She spotted Mulan, but no Flynn or Maximus. "Well there's one of them," said Belle.

Mulan closed the book and stood up to greet them.

"Belle. You're alive," she said happily, clasping Belle's shoulders.

"Where's Flynn?"

"He said that you no longer needed him, and he was pretty confident that you would return. He also wanted you to have this," said Mualn handing her Flynn's bow and arrows, which Belle, with shock, took the items with great honor. "Anyway; are you alright?"

"Yes. I defeated the Yaoguai…. With a little help," said Belle looking at Phillip.

"Who are you?" asked Mulan with furrowed brows.

"I was the Yaoguai."

Mulan looked at Belle, confused as ever.

"He was cursed. I helped him, so he's going to help you."

"Wait. You're not coming?"

"I have another beast to face."

Phillip nodded his understanding, and Belle handed Mulan her sword back, while Mulan returned her book. Belle nodded her thanks.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Belle."

Bell turned and left the two alone at the campsite. Belle had learned something from this whole experience; and that is a life on the run alone was not for her. She wanted a home, and not a day went by when she didn't think about Rumple. Rumple was her home, and she wanted to know if she was his. She just needed to hear the words. She reached the edge of the cliff again, and looked over at the brightly lit village below.

"I'm coming back, Rumple," she said with a smile.

She turned to begin her journey east, back towards the Dark Castle, but Regina and several royal guards on horseback were waiting for her.

"Isn't that sweet. Still fighting for true love, even to the bitter end," said Regina with an evil smile.

"How did you find me?" asked Belle.

"You really should be nicer to your traveling companions. Right, Claude?" Belle looked over at Claude, who was standing there smirking at her. "Take her to the tower."

"What? NO! PLEASE," Belle screamed while fighting a guard, as he dragged her off to the prison wagon.

The guard was just too strong, and as she felt her chances of reuniting with Rumple slip through her fingers, a knife came flying out the bushes and plunged itself into the cars neck. Belle fell to the ground and noticed Regina and the others go on high alert. She looked towards the row of bushes where the knife and emerged and squinted to try and make out the dark figure that was now following it. Her eyes focused and she found herself now looking at Flynn, fully healed, and very angry.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Regina.

"Your worst nightmare," said Flynn.

"How dare you….. That is not how you speak to a queen?"

"That's the thing. You're not my queen, Regina. I bow to no one." Flynn thrust his hand forward, generating a blast of blue light, knocking Regina off her horse and into the mud.

The guards surrounding them each pulled out their swords and began to surround Flynn, who had also pulled how his two swords and held them loosely in each hand. He backed up, sure to keep Belle behind him.

"Belle, go… Go back to Rumplestiltskin."

Belle looked up at him with wide eyes; she had never been this shocked before. She never told him who it was she was running from, nor was there any indication of it, and yet Flynn knew and was now pleading with her to run and go back to the man she loved and at the same time terrified her.

"How….. how did you know it was him?" she asked.

Flynn didn't say a word, he just turned to look at her and flashed her gentle smile, one the she had never seen in the short time she had known, but warmed her heart all the same.

"You're not going to get another chance. GO!"

"No, I can't leave you. I can stay and fight them off with you," said Belle.

"I'll be fine, Belle. You're not skilled enough yet to take on this many armed guards. It's safer for you to run. Just know that whether you see me or not, I'll always be over your shoulder. Always. NOW RUN!" screamed Flynn just as a guard swung his sword down; Flynn blocked and quickly used his other sword to slash his opponent's stomach open.

Belle quickly bolted, and ran as fast as she could through the trees. As she ran, the memories of her and Flynn's time together flashed through her mind and her only hope as the tears came flowing is that she would see him again, for Flynn was the only true friend she had ever known.


	7. Star Charts

Belle sprinted through the forest; splashing through puddles and leaping over fallen branches. She wasn't sure if she was far enough from the danger to stop, so she kept running; not looking back only focusing on what was ahead and who she was running too. She could see the end of the tree line in front of her, and she bolted through the last tree line and almost over a cliff; she frantically reached out and grabbed the ledge, as she fell over; looking down at 100 foot drop that certainly would have killed her, she gulped and slowly pulled herself up. She collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily and wheezing. It was then, she realized that no one was following her; she was all alone. Flynn must have stopped them somehow. She looked over at the sun rising over the cliffs; it shed a light on the dark castle in the distance, nestled in the mountains. Belle smiled and ran down the path way to a safe route down the mountain. She was so close now, and out of fear of Regina popping up and stopping her again, she kept running until she was running through the castle courtyard and up to the front door. Belle took a minute to calm her breaths and straighten her hair, then pounded on the door. She heard rustling in inside followed by a familiar voice.

"Go away!" shouted Rumple.

Belle could admit that Rumple's voice was music to her ears, as gruff and shrill as it was.

"Rumple… it's me!" she yelled through the door.

There was a long pause followed by a turn of the locks; the door creaked open, and she glimpsed Rumple peering through the crack at the door. She couldn't help but cry tears of joy at seeing him once again when she was sure she would never do so again. Her body shook from the sobs, but she flashed him the occasional smile to show how happy she was. He swung the door further open, and stepped closer to her. Belle found Rumple's look to be one of confusions, which caused her to be confused in return. He stuck out a hand to cup her cheek; and she melted; closing her eyes and smiled, she nestled her face into his palm, while using her hands to gently hold him there.

"It is you… you're here, you're real."

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

Tears began to flow down Rumple's cheeks; he grabbed her head and crashed his lips against her into a thunderous kiss. Belle moaned closed her eyes and into his mouth, their heavy breaths bouncing off the walls of the castle entranceway. Belle gripped the lapel of his vest; she had never been kissed like this before and was enjoying it. It was like sparks erupting inside of her and entwining her very soul. Their lips danced over each other; Rumple pulled her closer, as he wrapped his strong arms around her. They reluctantly broke apart and gently touched heads.

"I'm so sorry Belle," he whispered.

Belle gasped, as she noticed the change in Rumple's voice. It was no longer that shrilly evil imp tone that she and so many others knew so well, but a deeper smoother tone. She looked up into his eyes; she found herself looking at, not the dark one, but a very normal, very human Rumplestiltskin. With deep brown eyes, sun kissed skin, and long silky brown hair; she found him to be incredibly handsome, as she did when she first gazed upon this form back when they first kissed. And since she was gazing upon it once more, she knew that his curse must be broken.

"Rumple? Your face…. You look-"

Rumple furrowed his brow; he was confused about what she was referring too. He walked across the room to the mirror in the corner and stared at his reflection. He was speechless; he touched his skin, unable to believe that this was real. He was back to his old self; his mask had finally been lifted. He ran his fingers through his hair, and gave a little chuckle before turning to look at Belle, who was standing across the room with tears in her eyes. He met her halfway into another heated kiss.

"Oh, Belle…. I thought you were dead," said Rumple.

He could barely get the words out; between the kisses and his shaky voice accompanied by the tears flowing down his cheeks he was breathless. He placed frantic kisses all over her face. He needed her and she needed him. Their dynamic was different now; more so than it ever had been. They had stopped playing games, and now all they wanted was to revel in each other. To feel each other for the first time. Belle moaned into his kiss; he broke away and she clang to him a few seconds longer before nestling into the crook of his neck. They wrapped their arms around each other; he held her there and rested his chin on the top of her head. He closed his eyes as they swayed back and forth, unable to believe that any of this was real. He was sure he had lost her forever; this had to be a dream; a dream he never wanted to wake up from. He sniffed her hair; the smell of forest and coconut filled his nostrils and he had wondered how she had been doing up until now. But, wait; a thought had entered his mind….. Regina had lied to him, but why? Why would she bother lying about Belle? Just to make him feel worse about losing her? What was to gain from that?

"Sweetheart? Regina? Have you seen her?" he asked staring fiercely into her eyes.

Belle furrowed her brow as she studied him; it was clear that his anger was quickly bubbling to the surface and she was not sure about telling him that Regina was responsible for all that had happened, but she also couldn't lie to him.

"Yes. She tried to abduct me, but I got away," she said quietly.

Rumple snarled and punched the air; a blast a light flew from his fist and hit the far wall, blasting a hole in it and littering the floor with debris. He went on a rampage; throwing blue fireballs into the walls; Belle looked on horrified at her true love's display of anger. More importantly his ability to use magic at all; she had thought for sure she had broken the curse. How was he still able to use magic? Another fireball ricocheted off the wall and hit the suit of armor at the foot of the grand staircase. It came crashing down with a loud CLANG, causing pieces of the suit that once stood tall, scatter in different directions. Rumple fired more shards of light into different directions; tearing the castle apart. Belle watched in horror as Rumple destroyed vases, paintings, mirrors and anything he could get his hands on. She knew she had to do something.

"Rumple….. Rumple! RUMPLE! STOP!" she screamed before wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and burying her face into his chest; he was hot to the touch; Belle figured his anger must cause him great pain for him to be this hot; his blood must be boiling on the inside.

Rumple froze with his hands at his sides; he just stood there letting Belle hug him, much like the first time she had ever done so. In her embrace he could feel himself calm down; he took a few deep breaths and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll be back," he whispered.

He pushed Belle away and waved his hands to open the doors. Belle tried to run after him, but he walking too fast; she gasped as the purple smoke began to engulf him.

"RUMPLE! RUMPLE, PLEASE! DON'T KILL HER!" she shouted, as he disappeared and the smoke around him evaporated.

Belle just stared at the empty space where he once stood; she put her face in her hands and began to sob. He was changing….. he was….. and now she might have just sent him back into the darkness.

Rumple twirled through the air; he watched miles of forest fly by as he hurried to Regina's castle. The rushing wind filled his ears and pounded his ear drums. He was so anger and his thirst for Regina's blood was unusually high. He knew he needed her; he needed her to cast his curse that would take him the land that Bae now called home, but it wasn't his home, his home was with his father, with Rumple. And now not even that could prevent Rumple from ripping Regina's heart out and crushing it in front of her. She had meant to capture the love of his life and keep her from him. He couldn't let that slide, not ever; she had played him for a fool, and he fell right into her nonsense.

Rumple landed on the balcony of the Evil Queen's bedroom. He stormed inside and spotted her brushing her hair in the mirror.

"REGINA!" he screamed.

Regina calmly turned in her chair and flashed him an evil grin, as if trying to play not knowing a clue as to why he was there. Rumple also noticed a cut just above her eye, and secretly wondered what kind of fight she had gotten into especially now when she looked so defeated; something that didn't happen too often if her assailant wasn't him.

"Ever hear of a door?" she asked sarcastically.

"DON'T play that with me….. You know why I'm here," snarled Rumple.

"Hmmmmmmmmm….. can't say I do."

"BELLE! She's alive. You tried to capture her….. lock her away…. Keep us apart. WHY? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!"

"I am destined to be the most powerful magician in all the realms. I need you out of the picture. My mother always said love is weakness… and she was right. Look what it's done to you," said Regina with her face twisted in disgust.

"You don't believe that. If you did, you wouldn't, for the past fifteen years, hate Snow White."

Regina looked down to avoid his gaze; he had gotten to her and she hated being vulnerable. He knew her so well; he did teach her everything she knows after all. Rumple quickly disappeared and reappeared in front of her; she gasped. She quickly grabbed her neck, and began to squeeze. He was blinded by his own rage. Regina was clutching at his hand; she tried to use magic but Rumple continued to block it out. He bared his teeth, as the light began to leave her eyes.

Belle sat on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Her cheeks were stained with streaks from the tears she had shed only moments ago. Rumple was off falling further into darkness and worse of all, she felt so helpless. She wiped away the new tears that were forming and looked out at the surrounding mountain side.

"Sad, are we?"

Belle eyes went wide and she quickly turned to see Flynn perched between a gargoyle and the castle wall. He jumped down, and Belle quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I thought you had died for sure," Belle whispered.

"Oh please, that lot was no fuss," he said with a bit of cockiness behind it. He pulled her off of him and wiped away the new tears with his thumb. "Now, why do you cry?" he asked.

"It's Rumple. He went off to kill Regina, or did you kill her?" asked Belle only just now remembering that Flynn had fought her in order to insure her escape.

"No, I did not. He still needs her around," said Flynn.

Belle raised an eyebrow. She remembered him say that he only knew Rumple by reputation, so why should he care about Rumple's needs?

"What do you mean?" asked Belle.

"What?" He was confused now.

"You said Rumple still needs Regina around….. what do you mean? How do you know what Rumple needs? I thought you only knew him by reputation."

"Yes…. Well…"

"I knew you were lying… I knew it by the look in your eyes. I'll ask you again… AND THIS TIME….. I want the truth. Do you know Rumple?" Belle got up close so that she was inches from his face, looking at him with her intense eyes.

Flynn tried to resist, but in the end could not. He let out a long sigh, and threw his hands up in defeat.

"Yes."

"How do you know him? Did he send you after me?"

"No. No."

"Then how?"

"You have to promise never to divulge this information to anyone," he said wanting to stress the secrecy with what he was about to tell her.

"Very well," Belle whispered. "Now tell me."

"He's my brother," Flynn confessed.

Rumple stood over Regina; his grip tightening on her throat, her hands clawing at his, trying to relieve his hold on her. She was growing weaker and weaker by the minute, and Rumple took delight in feeling her life slowly leaving her as her strength left and she began clawing at the air, and finally dropping her hands at her sides. Rumple flashed an evil grin at her pain strickend face before Belle's final words before he had stormed out the castle filled his head.

"RUMPLE, PLEASE! DON'T KILL HER!" It was like an echo bouncing off the walls in his skull, and before he knew what had happened, he let go and backed away.

Regina coughed violently as the air refilled her lungs. Rumple looked at his hands in horror; though his hands looked human they still belonged to a monster. He hated himself, but it was Belle who inspired him to spare Regina despite what she had done.

"You're not going….. you're not going to kill me?" asked Regina, rubbing her sore throat.

"No. You have Belle to thank for that….. I'm leaving, but I don't want to see your face for a while. And Regina… if you dare to hurt my loved ones again…. I will not hesitate to kill you. Not even Belle can save you then… Are we clear?"

Regina stayed silent, but her envious glare was the only answer he needed.

"Good," said Rumple under his breath.

"Wait," she whispered.

"What? Say you what you need to say before I regret leaving you with the ability to speak."

"Aren't you wondering how….. how I got this nasty gash on my….. on my head?"

"Not particularly, no," he said casually.

"Well I'll tell you anyway. It was a man I encountered before trying to capture your girl. Another wizard. And if I'm not mistaken, based on how quickly he overwhelmed me and my platoon, he's just as strong as you."

Rumple's stomach dropped as he were free falling off a cliff. Someone as strong as him? It couldn't be; he was sure there was only one person in all the realms who equaled him in abilities and that was his father, but was he here again? Why would he leave Neverland? No, he would investigate this matter later, but the more interesting question was; why would he help Belle?

"Just the thought you should know. Especially if he's hunting magic users," said Regina.

Rumple rolled his eyes, then turned to walk towards the balcony; he was once again engulfed by a cloud of purple smoke and disappeared just before he reached the edge.

Belle's eyes grew wide; she thought she was prepared for anything but certainly not this. Her mouth agape, she tried to find the words, but only incoherent noises came out.

"I know this is something of a shock," said Flynn.

"His BROTHER?! I don't understand… He told me you were dead," said Belle, her mind racing, frantically trying to make sense of all this.

"He thinks that, yes….. And I would rather keep it that way….. For now, at least. The time will come when all will be revealed"

"Why? And why haven't you told him? Gone to him?"

"It's a very long story… Let's just say his life depended on me keeping my distance."

"I don't understand…. Is that why you were helping me? You were looking out for me because of him?"

"Yes," he whispered. Belle watched him look out at the mountain side; he looked to be formulating his next few words. "My brother's happiness is the most important thing in my life, Belle. I would do anything to sustain it…. You make him happier than I've seen in a very long time."

"And how would you know that? You just said you haven't been around him," Belle was becoming even more intrigued by Flynn, and she was determined to keep poking until she got the entire story.

"I have a very special power. The power of sight. It's almost like a third eye that can see across great distances. It's been 297 years since I last saw him in person. Spoke to him… hugged him. I've been watching over him ever since. For 297 years not a single day went by when I didn't check up on him."

Belle didn't know how to respond; all of this was happening so fast, she couldn't react. All this information was hitting like tidal wave of knowledge, and what was worse she didn't know how to respond.

"What happened that night? Why would he think that you were dead?"

"I was taken. Elves are not allowed to converse with humans. Once I was discovered to be living among them, the kidnapped me and took me to my home world. My brother blames himself for my death because moments before I was taken we had a fight, I stormed out and that was the last time I saw him."

"I can't believe this. Wait what did you mean by Rumple needing Regina alive?" asked Belle, throwing out the only question with an answer she could possibly comprehend.

"I think that's something Rumple will have to tell you himself. Ask him or let the answer come in time, but no matter what, it must happen. Do you understand?" Flynn hands were gripping Bell's arms, and he was staring in to her eyes with such intensity that it terrified her to core.

She nodded, but Flynn was distracted by something else, for he had turned his attention back to the horizon, but it wasn't the horizon he was focused on. He released Belle and took a few steps back. Belle watched him, even more confused now.

"What is it?"

"Rumple has returned. I must go. Remember; you cannot tell him I'm still alive or he will die. HE CANNOT KNOW! PROMISE ME!"

"Alright, yes…. Yes. I won't tell him."

"Whenever you need me just say my name. I will come," and with that Flynn disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.

Belle rushed down to the grand staircase to meet Rumple. He standing there with his arms outstretched for her, as she ran into them. They stood there holding each other for several moments as the moments were their last.

"Oh Rumple. What have you done?" asked Belle, holding back the tears.

"I didn't kill her if that's what you mean," whispered Rumple into her hair.

Belle was shocked; Flynn was right. She slowly pulled away and looked up into his brown eyes. Those same eyes that were once cold and monstrous green were now gorgeous chocolate pools that she found very calming.

"You didn't kill her? Why? You seemed so determined."

"It was you. Your request invaded my mind. My love for you is stronger than my desire for revenge."

Belle's eyes began to well up with more tears and she stood on her toes to kiss him again. She gripped his shoulders, as their mouths worked together in a passionate kiss that shook them to their core.

Flynn walked across the South Beach, his cloak flowing behind him. He stopped and looked across the ragging sea. He closed his eyes, as he felt the cool breeze brushing his face and the sea air filling his nostrils. With the sea stirring, he could sense that a storm was on its way. He waved his hand; there was burst of light and a very large ship with an armored, hull black sails, and "The Atlantis" written in gold letters on the back appeared out of thin air close to the shore. Flynn climbed the rope latter onto the empty deck, then entered the Captain's Quarters. Inside it was very unkempt; heaps of scrolls, maps, and articles of clothing were thrown carelessly all over the room. It was a wonder anyone could get around in there, but Flynn was never really one for neatness or organization, but then again, he never really needed to be. Pascal, an odd little fellow with shirt brown hair, big auburn eyes, and wide smile, who was Flynn's first mate sat at his desk obviously plotting their next course with a pencil and protractor. He looked up at Flynn, surprised to see him standing there.

"Oh, Captain. What a pleasant surprise….. I didn't expect you back so soon," said Pascal.

"Nor did I… There's been a change of plans. I need to stay in the Enchanted Forest a few months longer," said Flynn as he replaced Pascal in the elegant chair in front of the desk.

"Did you find the girl you were looking for?"

"Yes, I did. She's safe now, but I've discovered a greater plan at work and for the sake of my family I must see it through," said Flynn. He looked down at the maps Pascal had been designing. "What is this? Did you find another possible treasure cove?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. I was going to surprise you with it when you returned, but our spies tell us that Captain Hook is after it as well. We have to move now if we are to get there first. We seem to be one step ahead of him… We know exactly where to dig."

Flynn leaned back in chair, stroking his beard in deep thought. Pascal watched him nervously, as he awaited his decision.

"No. Let Hook have this one. Lord knows he needs it."

"The crew won't be too happy about that," said Pascal disappointed.

"I'm thinking about their safety. I have to stay here, and not to boast, but I doubt this crew will survive a battle against Hook without me…. Hook and his crew are afraid of me and me alone," said Flynn taking out his journal along with a quill and ink from the desk drawer.

"Why?" asked Pascal confused.

Flynn flashed his trademark smirk, and said simply: "Because I'm not human. And it's in humanity's nature to be more afraid of people who aren't like them, but a non-human who plays the master… well that's bloody terrifying."

Pascal let out a small chuckle; he had always admired Flynn and his leadership skills ever since the day he had met him. It wasn't just that; he was always so calm and confident that anyone who dared cross him would sooner regret that choice than ever get an upper hand on him. Flynn wasn't arrogant or selfish, but he was ruthless and blood thirsty when the time for battle came. It was in his nature to hunger for battle, for the elves were a warrior race, the only difference that Flynn had was he preferred caution to battle; exacerbating all his options before losing any crew members and that is what made him a great leader.

"Tell me, Pascal…. Have you ever made a star chart designed for anything other than its titular purpose?" asked Flynn, pulling a folded map from inside his journal and unfolding it on the table.

"No, Captain….. can't say I have."

"I use it to map out my destiny and the destiny of my family. If you believe in destiny. I've lived for 300 years now…. These maps help me store the memories and predict the new ones." He dipped his quill in ink and drew a few lines and jotted a few names and notes. "Rumple and Belle have found their way to each other. And now the course has changed."

Rumple caressed Belle's back, as he kissed her; his hands traveling ups to gently grip her jaw, as his fingertips were entwined with strands of her long beautiful brown hair. He couldn't stop kissing her; he wanted to just kiss her like this until they withered away in each other's arms. He heard Belle moan, and he increased the heat again; kissing her frantically as if hungry for the last bit of breath they had left. They broke apart, trying to catch their breath with their foreheads pressed together.

"Belle…" Rumple whispered. "I love you."

And there it was; he finally got it out after months of dancing around each other, he finally found the words, and Belle just grinned and kissed him again.

"I love you too," she whispered.

"Belle, I have never been in so much pain since the first night I had lost my son. I can't lose you again. With the list of enemies I have, the possibility of death is extremely high for both of us."

"I don't care. I would die without you. You are my world," whispered Belle before kissing him again.

"Then here," he said waving his hand. Belle watched a jagged dagger with his name on the blade appear in his palm. "This dagger is the source of my power. This is the only thing that can kill me…. I've never trusted anybody with this; not even my own son. I entrust this to you now. You have accepted me with all my strengths and weaknesses, you've seen through my mask, and you've inspired me to be a better person for the first time in 250 years. So, I am for now and all the future yours," he said presenting the dagger to her.

"Wait. What are you saying?" asked Belle utterly confused.

"Marry me, Belle?"


	8. Union in the Courtyard

Belle just stood there; frozen, gripping hands, as she registered what he had just asked her. Her mouth was dry, and she worked hard to find some way to give it some moisture, but she was too nervous. She quickly found herself concentrating more on her dry mouth than the man eagerly awaiting her answer directly in front of her. She thought it over a few moments more; she decided that she was too young and there were too many dangers out there where all of their romantic bliss could end in flash for her to say "no." She took his hand in hers and smiled up at him with all the love she could muster.

"Yes…. Yes, yes," she whispered.

Rumple eagerly grabbed her face and kissed her firmly on the lips causing her to moan. They embraced each other and stood there swaying back and forth at the foot of the grand staircase.

"It will be done tomorrow. Right out in the courtyard. Just us under the stars," he said with his palms holding her face up to look at him.

He kissed her forehead and guided her up the stairs towards the library. It was just as she left with the exception of a few bookcases added. The same book she was reading before was sitting on the table next to the day bed; which looked made. She figured Rumple must have come up here a few times. Belle picked up the book and flipped through the pages. Rumple studied her, as she did so; noticing the way she turned the pages so delicately, as if afraid to hurt the book in the slightest.

"I came up here a few times," he said.

Belle turned to face him, and looked at him with her trademark look of confusion and curiosity.

"Why?" she asked.

"Mostly to drink myself to sleep. Words cannot describe how devastated I was when I heard that you had died. I had lost a piece of my soul that day… And you were right… I regretted it as soon as I let you go…. Just like my son."

His son; Belle suddenly remembered that he had not told her what happened to the boy. And this was her chance to get the full story.

"You know…. you did make me a promise. I'm still waiting to hear what happened."

Rumple looked at her with uncertainty. He wasn't sure if he should reveal this to her, but he knew all to well what marriage was and being honest with her was the first step. He had to trust her with his secrets. If anything, he knew it would maker her happy. He let out a big sigh, and sat her down next to her on the daybed. He looked down at the floor as if he were gathering his thoughts, then looked at her.

"A long time ago, during the Ogre Wars, my son was to be drafted on his birthday. By then it was accustomed for soldiers to be drafted as young as 14. Too many of these children were dying too quickly… I couldn't take that risk. I had already lost my wife; I couldn't lose him too. So I tried to run and take him with me, but soldiers caught up with me and….." Rumple stopped and clenched his jaw, as he swallowed hard. Remembering that night was always painful for him, and it was the fuel to his fiery rage. "They uh- they forced me to go back home. My son was going to turn 14 in a week, and to teach me a lesson they promised me that they would come for him on the morning of his birthday. On the way back home, I ran into a beggar, who I fed and gave shelter."

"You helped a man less fortunate than yourself?" asked Belle, shocked.

"Indeed. You were right about me. I used to be a very kind man, and now kindness is so foreign to me….. Anyway, as I was sharing a meal with the beggar, he told me of a mystical dagger that could rob the then Dark One of his powers. The soldiers obeyed the Dark One; I figured… with that power I could finally bring the children home, and more importantly, I could end the wars without my son ever having to go in the first place. I talked it over with my son, and I devised a plan to get the dagger. Once I got it, I summoned the Dark One, and I stabbed him in the heart with it. Turns out it was the beggar I helped that night; he wanted to die, to be rid of this curse that now plagues me… and I was fool. Going after a weapon I knew so little about. As he died the transformation began and I turned into this," he said waving his hands up and down his body. "The next morning, the soldiers came for my boy…. and I killed every last one of them. And it brought me so much joy, but from that moment on, I could see it in my son's eyes… he was afraid of me. I had gained all this power, but I had lost my son's affections. After that, he grew more and more terrified of me as my anger proved uncontrollable. It became less about being the hero of the Ogre Wars and turning my powers towards good, and more about gaining power for the sake of having it. I was killing anyone who crossed our path. I didn't care….. I had it set in my mind that I wasn't going to let anyone walk over my family ever again. I was no longer the village coward; I was the most feared man in all the realms. If you could still call me a man. My son begged me to get rid of my powers… he said they were changing me, so I made a deal with him. If he could find a way for us to live without my powers, then we could live together in peace. It could go back to the way things were. All I could see was me going back to being the village coward…. I never wanted to be called that ever again. So, when he obtained a magic bean that could transport us to a land without magic….. I just revealed to myself that no matter how much power I had gained months before; I was still in fact the village coward. And with one foot in the portal and one hand grasping mine, I chose power over him, and I let him go through that portal… alone. It was in that moment that the monster you and everyone else have come to know me as was born. It was the only deal I had ever broken. I regretted my choice immediately….. and for 250 years I have been trying to rectify that error, even as portal jumping artifacts grew even more scarce; I never gave up. And I never will."

Belle sat next to him in silence for several moments; whatever she expected from the story of what happened to the son of the Dark One, it wasn't this. She admired his honesty and the undying love for his son. It was an emotion she knew from the first day that he still possessed; that night when she feared scorn for chipping the teacup, and instead he told her that's all it was. He could have killed her, screamed at her, cut her limbs off, but he didn't. If he didn't have control of his temper then, he certainly did now; and what controls a temper? Love. Her eyes lit up for the first time since the end of Rumple's story; that was it. His temper; if he could learn to control his temper to the point where the darkness finally leaves him, he would be redeemed. Belle knew she was the key to his redemption; she knew she had to help him through it no matter what… at least for his son.

Rumple continued to study her; she had not said a word, and it began to worry him. He hoped that this revaluation would not push her away; he was so close, but who could blame her? He was monster; at least that's what he told himself. He closed his eyes, trying to black out the emotional pain; she was going to leave him, he knew it. His hands gripped his kneecaps, as he dropped his head down, refusing to face her, waiting of her to say those words he was dreading. Instead, he felt a warm hand on his, and his eyes snapped open. He slowly turned his head to look at Belle, who was returning his gaze with the most sympathetic eyes… she had a way of looking at him like no one else could. Like she was reading him, and she knew exactly what he needed. She wrapped her arms gently around him, and he began to sob uncontrollably into her shoulder. Years of pain and sadness pouring out of him at once; Belle could feel it in him, as she rubbed his back. She knew then that she had found her home with Rumplestiltskin, the man, who accepted her when no one else would, the man she had fallen madly in love with, the man who now held her heart. She was happy here, by letting her see his vulnerable side, she realized how much trust he had put in her... all of it. This was their start it was no more Rumplestiltskin or Belle; no more the Dark One or the daughter of a knight… It was Rumplestiltskin and Belle; a team blessed by true love's power, and this was only the beginning.

The sun beamed through the upper stain glass window and reflected off of Belle's sleeping face. Felling the warmth, she twitched her mouth and slowly opened her eyes. They flickered at the sun's blurring shine, and she put a hand in front of her face to shield them. She looked around, unsure of where she was at the moment, then, after mild panic, remembered she was back in her library. She figured she must have been very tired, for she had gotten nowhere near a decent amount of sleep in weeks. She looked over at the old grandfather clock, which flashed 3 pm. She had slept for 12 straight hours, the longest she had ever slept in her life. She lifted herself, with some difficulty and swung her legs over the daybed. Rubbing her aching neck, she used the other hand to hoist herself up to a standing position. Across the room, she spotted her gold dress hanging on the edge one of the shelves; next to that was an all white dress with gold sashes and trimmings. In between them was a scroll; Belle removed the ribbon tying the scroll together and read it out loud:

"My darling Belle,

As you left your gold dress here, I thought you would like it back. In addition, I have made you a dress for tonight, if you would like to wear it. Consider it a gift, but you may wear whatever you like. As per tradition, I cannot see you before the wedding, so I will keep my distance until tonight. If you need anything, I'll be up in my study; just yell and I'll be sure to cover my eyes and help you as best I can. See you then.

R."

Belle chuckled at the letter; it was good to see his playful sense of humor returned. She ran her fingers over the new dress; it was beautiful; snow white with a golden lace at the seems; so lovely. There was no question, she was going to wear this dress. She put down the scroll, then picked up the book she was reading about Flynn's tales of adventure. She had gotten to know him quite well because of this book, and the similarities between him and Rumple were apparent. Now, in the book, he was about to face a three-headed dragon that was guarding the fountain of youth. In a short time, she had come to know Flynn as a bit of a dashing and brave fellow, but she couldn't help, but laugh at the notion of him fighting an a three headed dragon, just seemed a little far fetched to her. Then again, Flynn had traveled across many realms, who knew what kind of dangers he encountered. She kept reading on and on, completely captivated by the story, she knew she must have been sitting there reading for hours; she flipped another page just as the grandfather clock began to chime. She looked up at the clock now reading 6:30pm. Belle immediately jumped off the bed and ran over to change into the dress Rumple had made for her. She was so into the book that time had once again flew by. She tidied up her hair and threw on some make up, then ran down the stairs with on hand holding her dress up to avoid stumbling over.

On the table in the trophy room sat a bouquet of flowers, neatly tied together with a white bow. Belle picked them up, assuming that they were for her, and hurried to the next room. The door leading the courtyard was wide open along with Belle's eyes as she gazed at the beauty Rumple had set up. Thousands, no millions, off fireflies, all lit the area up so brightly it was almost like the stars themselves had dropped from the sky and were now floating around them. Belle focused ahead; Rumple was standing there with his hand for her to grab. His hair was neatly combed not frizzy as it once was. Now it fell slightly past his shoulders; it made him look as handsome as ever, but it was what Rumple was wearing that impressed her the most. A navy blue coat with gold trim, a soft gold waistcoat with a white shirt and cravat, black leather pants with a gold trim going down the side, and black laced boots. He looked like a prince, and with all the princes that had been her suitors before her father finally found Gaston, she had never fancied them. Princes were always snobbish, greedy, and ignorant, but Rumple giving off that prince vibe, she had never been more attracted to one. Belle smiled as she began her walk to him. She was so nervous he seemed to be getting further and further away with each step, but Rumple did not move an inch. He just stood there beaming at her with his hand outstretched; and Belle finally realized that this was the first genuine smile she had ever seen coming from him. It was nice; and a nice feeling knowing that she was the cause for that smile. She made him happy, and that meant the world to her. She finally reached him at the center of the courtyard and took his hand. As he pulled her towards him, she glanced down at the stone floor, now bearing a strange symbol of a crescent moon surrounded by a trio of spirals stacked one on top the other carved into the stone. She was sure that as many times she had visited the garden, she had never noticed it.

"This is an ancient magical symbol of unity between romantics. It is needed for the ceremony," said Rumple, noticing her staring at the ground. "Now… Are you ready to begin?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes."

Rumple held up Belle's hand and moved up to clasp her wrist, to which Belle did the same. With their arms locked, Rumple waved his hand above theirs, letting a golden dust fall from his fingertips. There was a flash, and a loud pop. Belle shielded her eyes from the intense light. It was so bright that she could no longer see Rumple in front of her, thought she could still feel him gripping her wrist. As the light dim, Belle looked down at their locked hands, and gasped. Gold glowing lines interlocked around them forming a knot, as if being tied together.

"It seems it has worked."

"What?"

"This spell can only work on those who are without a doubt true love. It is the peak of true love's magic. I wouldn't even be able to perform it if I wasn't linked to you….. Now, we must recite our vows in order to complete the spell. Would you like to start?"

"Rumplestiltskin….. This thing we have is never easy. I've already lost you once, and that is enough. As you have said, there will be many enemies we have to face, but long as I am by your side, those who will harm at us will fail. I've spent my whole life turning down every suitor I could because deep down I knew fate had someone else in store for me. And when I saw you I knew that I was meant to walk the Enchanted Forest by your side. I love you, Rumplestiltskin."

"Belle when we met, I wasn't just unloved and unloving, I was any enemy of love. Love had only brought me pain….. My walls were up, but you brought them down. You brought me home, you brought light into my life, and I vow to you. I will never forget the difference between who I was and what I am. I owe more to you than I could ever say." Rumple took Belle's ring finger between his index finger and thumb, then gently stroked it from the knuckle to the tip. Belle watched him intensely, and as he pulled away ring of golden light erupted around her finger, closed in, then disappeared. "How you manage to see the man behind the monster…. I will never know."

"But that monster's gone. The man beneath him may be flawed, but we all are….. And I love you for it," said Belle with a wide smile and a gentle voice. She then repeated Rumple's steps and took his finger between her index finger and her thumb and slid them along his. There was another burst of light that formed a ring and wrapped itself around Rumple's finger and vanished. Belle looked at him with a shaky smile; she could hardly contain her joy, and it meant so much more when she saw Rumple staring back at her with equal joy. She locked her fingers with his once more, and said with a teary voice: "Sometimes the best book has the dustiest jacket, and sometimes the best teacup is chipped."

Rumple's heart flourished at her words, and the tears filled with happiness came flowing down his cheeks. He realized now that he had not been this happy since the birth of his son. He kissed her hard; each of them melting into the other under the starry night, as there union was completed.

Flynn stood tall on the branch of nearby tree, close enough to see and far enough to not be seen, looking through a spyglass at the couple below. It was such a beautiful night; the stars twinkled above them, and gentle breeze grazed his long black hair, causing it to sway along with the leaves around him. He had already missed his brother's first wedding; he wasn't going to miss this one. He smiled broadly; seeing his brother happy meant more to him than his own life, and yet it was an odd scene. He had been so used to seeing his brother so miserable, that this was a pleasant change that was foreign to him. And Belle… sweet Belle… becoming his sister-in-law was certainly unexpected given his past.

"Well fate certainly has a sense of humor," whispered Flynn to himself.

"It certainly does," came a voice from below.

Flynn quickly dropped down with his knife drawn frantically looking around for the source of the voice.

"It's been a long time, Flynn."

He turned to the rustling bushes in the shadows. A lanky boy, dressed in green rags, with short brown hair, big brown eyes, and sporting a sly smile was now staring back him in clear view. Flynn couldn't believe it. It was none other than Peter Pan, the powerful King of Neverland, making a rare visit to the Enchanted Forest.

"What are you doing here, Pan?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here for my son's wedding."

"You have a son?"

"Don't get cute!" Pan snapped. "You know full well that Rumple is my son."

"Yes I do, but I also know that you have no right to call him that… You've been absent for… how long has it been now? 292 years?"

"I don't know. Nor do I care."

"Uh-huh….. So why are you really here?" asked Flynn. Through his time in Neverland, Flynn had gotten to know his brother's father quite well. Life was nothing, but a game to him, and he never passed up a chance to make a fool out of someone.

Pan flashed that evil grin once more, then looked down at the ground, building the anticipation; another one of Pan's games.

"I've been looking for you. I bring a message….. from the Black Fairy."

Rumple helped Belle up the steps leading into the ballroom. He waved his hand and the door swung open. A beautiful grand piano sat in the corner, full of dust. Rumple waved his again, and the piano keys began to move by themselves; playing an elegant tune for the occasion. Rumple stepped back and bowed like the gentlemen he was; Belle returned his gesture with a curtsy. He stuck out his hand for her to take, and she did so. With his hand on her waist, he twirled them around the room; Belle became lost in his arms once more, and she rested her head on his chest as they swayed. This was not only their first dance ever, but their first dance as husband and wife. Husband and wife… Belle was saying it for the first time in her head; the way of it was just no seeping into heart, and it was the most incredible feeling. Her only regret was Flynn not being there to see it; Flynn the only true friend she had ever had was hard to find, and not a day went by when she didn't think about what he might be doing.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Belle looked at him and shook her head. She placed a soft kiss on his lips and smiled up at him. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

Flynn stood in pace with eyes wide, and his heart thumping in his chest.

"Bellatrice? She's returned?" asked Flynn with a shaky voice.

"Aye," said Pan.

Bellatrice was a threat, she struck fear in very soul of Flynn like no one else could.

"Where is she?" asked Flynn.

"In Neverland….. with me."

"What does she want?"

"An audience with you."

"No. I don't care what she has to say. I want nothing to do with her. If that's all then… Safe travels back to the pit you crawled out of," said Flynn walking back into the Enchanted Forest.

"I'm sure she will be interested to know that the brother of the man she despises the most is now married to her only child."

Flynn stopped in his tracks; his face began to scrunch up into one of pure rage. Pan had gone too far. He turned and marched back over to the boy.

"Don't… YOU…..DARE….. You conniving little bastard. Leave my family out of this," said Flynn through gritted teeth.

"You and I both know how violent she can get. So I suggest you return with me…. Make this easier for everyone."

"Why are you working for her? You've never really been a team player with anyone you consider a threat. What's in it for you?" asked Flynn.

"I do a few things for her…. She feeds magic to the island."

Flynn's stomach dropped again. "She's gotten so strong that she can power the entire island on her own?"

Pan simply nodded flashing that evil smile once more; Flynn could feel his joyful eyes on him. Flynn's heart began to race at this revelation. Bellatrice is now an immediate threat to him and his family, if she finds out about Belle and Rumple, it could turn very nasty for the both of them. If she's powering the entire island with her own magical energy, then she has reached a level of power for only dreamers. This wasn't good at all, but in order to discover her desire for his future and the future of the realms, he knew he had to confront her, even if it meant the end of his life.

"Very well. Lead the way," said Flynn with a sigh.

"Smart. By the way I like this one… the woman my son has picked. Much better than the other one," said Pan as he took out a magic bean and threw it on the ground.

"Yeah," whispered Flynn.

There was a gush of wind and a flash of green light, as the portal opened and whirled around into a spiraling pit. Pan turned back and smiled at Flynn before both jumped through the portal. There was another flash, like lightning, and the portal vanished, leaving the forest as still and quiet as it was before.

Belle laughed as he carried her into, what was now, their bedroom. She kissed him again softly, but passionately; running her fingers through his long brown hair. He set her down gently, and pushed strands of hair out her face. She turned around to look at the bed for the first time, and felt a sinking feeling in her chest; she was now about to reach that important milestone in every woman's life. The moment she thought had been stolen from her if Flynn had not shown up that night; and the moment she dreaded experiencing with Gaston because she did not love him, but Rumple she loved more than anything.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her; she was trembling, and he knew why. Consummating a marriage was difficult, especially for someone as inexperienced as Belle. He kissed the top of her head, and Belle immediately melted in his arms. She felt so safe there; his embrace felt so warm and natural.

"We don't need to tonight if you aren't ready," he whispered in her ear.

"No-I am…. nervous, but I love you, Rumplestiltskin, and I want to experience this with you."

Rumple smiled at her, and kissed her firmly on her soft lips; his brave new wife, he thought, the woman he admired like no other in his life. He figured they'd start slow; tonight they had all the time in the world. He rested his hands on his hips.

"Go on. Take off my vest," he said putting his arms out in surrender.

Belle just stood there looking confused. "What?" she asked.

"Take off my vest. I want you to get comfortable with me at your own pace."

Belle bit her lip, and wit trembling hands began to untie the silky laces on his golden vest. He studied her intensely while she did so; nothing else was important to him, and Belle could feel the effects of his loving gaze; it was his way of encouraging her, and he didn't want her to think she was doing this alone, he wanted her to know that he was right there with her. He would always be there; it was a promise he intended to keep, no more pushing her away. She pushed the vest off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. He took her hands in his and brought them to the laces of his shirt; she united those, while he unbuttoned the buttons on his cuffs. Belle was getting a bit more comfortable with him, but he could still fell her uneasiness. He lifted his arms up, allowing her to un-tuck his shirt and pull it over his head. She looked at him; half naked for the first time. He was surprisingly fit; her eyes trialed over every muscle, every patch of skin. He gazed at her with the same expression of observation, but loving eyes. She fascinated him since the day he met her, at time when he thought none of this was possible. She reached out to touch him, but suddenly drew back, then looked at him as if she was silently asking him for permission.

"It's alright," he whispered.

She gently ran her fingers over his chest, feeling the warmth and tightness underneath; lightly playing with the strands of hair in the center. He shuddered ever so lightly as her fingers trailed further down and hooked onto the hem of his trousers. She looked up at Rumple, whose eyes were now closed, and his head slightly tilted back. She was gaining confidence, figuring that she was obviously doing something right. Rumple opened his eyes, and his gaze fixated right on Belle's own innocent stare, as she took his large hand in hers, kissed the palm, and placed it gently on her left breast just above her thumping heart. He swallowed hard; she could feel him trying to pull away, but she held his hand there. She wanted to feel his touch on her most vulnerable parts of her body.

"What are you doing?" he asked under his breath, staring at her hand on his cupping her breast.

"The same thing you're doing….. Walking you through it. Am I doing something wrong?"

"No…no….. it's just been a while." He said with a long sigh. Even thought through Milah he was experienced in these matters, it still made him nervous, and now he was finding he wasn't as ready as he thought.

"Untie my dress," she whispered.

She turned around and lifted her hair out of the way. He untied the laces on the back of her dress and helped her slip out of it leaving only her slip. Rumple looked her up and down; Belle cringed at his intense gaze. She moved about uncomfortably; Rumple put his hands on her arms and brought her closer to him; holding her there, waiting for her to feel safe. She melted in his arms, feeling all her cares float away; all her worries vanished for an instant. His arms were her safe haven. She felt his wondering hands grip her slip and pull it overhead finally revealing her naked body. Rumple stepped back to look at her, and Belle just stood there, staring at the floor, her cheeks bright red from blushing. She finally looked up at Rumple, who was looking at her with a fire in his eyes unlike anything she had ever seen before; a burning desire, and it pleased her to know that it was all for her. He gently grasped her chin pushed her head up to look at him; smiling at her, he took her in his and brought it back to the hem of his trousers. Belle moved closer her eyes never leaving his; she kissed him passionately while frantically untying his trousers, as he ran his fingers through her hair, and explored her mouth with his tongue.

Rumple shoved his trousers down and kicked them aside. Belle stopped the kiss and lingered inches from his lips. He was now naked before her; her hands ran gently down his back, over his arms, and grasped each butt cheek. Lightly squeezing before kissing him again. He picked her up and carried her the rest of the way towards the bed. He laid her down, then climbed on top of her, nestling between her legs. Belle swallowed hard; she was so nervous, she was shaking and she felt something hard against, which she could only assume was his length, as she hooked her leg over his back, and caressed his hip with her thigh. She did not look at it; she didn't want to be more nervous than she already was.

Rumple sensed her fear, and placed a soft reassuring kiss on her forehead. Stroking her hair, he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Are you ready?" he whispered.

Belle nodded; she really wasn't ready, but it wasn't something she could delay any longer. Rumple pushed himself up to his knees. Staring down at her, he began to caress her chest just below her neck, then ran his fingertips over her soft skin, down the middle of her breasts, over stomach; lightly touching her mound, making her shiver and moan underneath him. She moaned and bucked her hips to into his touch. Belle had never felt anything like this before; this was utter pleasure; she was with the man she loved; the only thing she ever wanted in a relationship, and she was ready to do this with him. He leaned forward, so that he was slightly above her, then positioned himself at her entrance. She was not prepared for what would happen next. There was a flash of white light and searing pain erupted from below. She clutched at him with one hand around his neck and the other clasping his shoulder blade. He held her firmly, as he pulled out, then slowly pushed back in. Belle gasped; the pain was unbearable.

"Is it supposed to hurt?" asked Belle as she took a deep breath.

"A little. It is your first time…. I'm sorry…. I am above average in size."

Rumple tried to start a rhythm, but it didn't last very long before Belle was screaming in obvious discomfort. Rumple looked down at her; the tears flowing down her cheeks, her body shaking from the sobbing.

"Stop….. please," said Belle.

Rumple immediately pulled out and plopped down on the bed next to her.

"Belle I'm so sorry. Please forgive-I…. I didn't want to hurt you."

"Hold me," Belle whispered. The pain radiating from groin

Rumple pulled her into a tight embrace, and caressed her arms and shoulders. He wanted her to feel safe wit him, to feel protected. His bare chest was getting wet from the tears falling from her eyes. It wasn't long after that his new wife fell asleep in his arms; and she slept soundly Rumple lie awake' only thinking of the pain he caused for yet another loved one.


	9. Mrs Potts

**This chapter is dedicated to the friend of ****vampygurl402. Happy Birthday, luv.**

The next morning Belle's eyes fluttered open; she found herself staring up at a blurry silhouette. After a combination of blinking rapidly a rubbing her eyes, they finally fixated on the round smiling face of a rather plump elderly woman with rosy cheeks and silver hair, wearing nothing but tattered pink and cream colored rags.

"Hello, my dear," she said in cheery voice. "Good thing you're finally awake. Let's try siting up, shall we?" she chirped, gently placing a hand on Belle's back and slowly lifting her up.

Belle struggled to a sitting position; she winced as a sharp pain erupted from her groin and traveled up her abdomen. The old woman held her, as she slightly tripped over herself again.

"Easy, dear…. Slowly now," she cooed.

"Who are you?" asked Belle, watching the old woman move about fluffing her pillows.

"Mrs. Potts, my dear…. Beverly Potts. I live in the village a few miles from her. You and the Dark One came to the market there a few times. The Dark One called upon my services. He told me there were some complications during the consummation. I had to rip up and burn the sheets you were lying in as there was too much blood."

Belle sunk lower into the fur quilt on the bed; her cheeks turned bright red. She was so embarrassed and having heard what Mrs. Potts had said about the blood, it made her feel so weak and vulnerable. All she could do was bury her face in her hands.

"Oh, dear…. It's nothing to be ashamed of. All woman go through the same thing on their first try," said Mrs. Potts trying her best to comfort Belle. "Now, come…. let's get you cleaned up," she said cheerfully, extending her hand for Belle to take.

With the help of Mrs. Potts, Belle hoisted herself up to a standing position. It seemed that is was even harder to walk, and with each step pain radiated throughout her body. Mrs. Potts led her outside the castle and helped her to the spring behind it. Without any regard for Belle's privacy, she ripped off Belle's night slip and threw it to the side. Belle instantly covered up, and flashed a look of annoyance her way.

"It's alright…. Get in, dear."

Belle stepped over the rocky edge and slowly sunk into the water. She sighed, feeling some of the pain ease her as the warm water soothed her aching muscles. She spun herself around, but the old woman was gone. Content with the loneliness, Belle closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the jagged rocks. Unfortunately it didn't last long, for Mrs. Potts had returned a few minutes later with a pale of soap, a washing cloth, and two large towels. She plopped down on the edge and summoned Belle to swim back over to her. Belle nestled herself between the old woman's short legs and turned to face the waterfall. Mrs. Potts dumped half of the pale of soap on top of Belle's head and began to roughly wash her hair.

"I'm Belle by the way," she whispered, pushing thick strands of hair out of her face.

"Yes I know. The Dark One told me all about you. First time I've ever seen him talk about someone like they were human beings and not less so…. Quite refreshing to see."

"You know him?" asked Belle, now curious about her observation that would only come from someone who was more than just an acquaintance.

"Yes. My husband has been in his debt for years now. We couldn't have children, so we went to the Dark One hoping he could make me fertile. Instead he gave us one to raise. He said the boy was abandoned by his birth family. He's been living with us for 14 years now; his name is Chip. A sweet boy… the sweetest."

"What was your price? What did Rumple want?" asked Belle.

My husband had a magic bean in his possession. He offered it, and Rumplestiltskin accepted. We took Chip home, only to find it ransacked and the bean gone. When he came calling the next morning, my husband and were sure he was going to take Chip away from us, instead he set up another payment. We agreed work for him for the rest of our days. So, when situations like this arise, he would call on my medical services. That is our payment."

Belle sat there, frozen, listening to the old woman's encounter with her brand new husband. Hearing Rumple showing kindness to anyone but her is a shock. She thought Rumple must have a soft spot for children growing up without families. Especially since his son is growing up without one. She flinched as the pale dumped water over her head, rinsing out the suds from her hair. Mrs. Potts lifted her arm and began scrubbing.

"You know of my situation. Does it get better?" asked Belle changing the subject, though not to a more pleasant one.

"Yes…. If you know what you're doing," she said taking her other arm and scrubbing it. "I must say… I have never seen the Dark One show concern for anyone other than himself. I had to order him to leave. He sat outside the bedroom all morning."

The corners of Belle's mouth shifted into a weak smile. After everything had happened she had only now realized that Rumple was not around, but she was honestly glad he wasn't. She was too embarrassed o even look at him. Once Mrs. Potts was finished she wrapped her in one towel and another on her head, then guided her back to the castle. Once Belle was fully dressed in her blue dress that she favored, she made her way down the stairs to the trophy room, where she found Mrs. Potts packing up her things to leave.

"Well don't you look stunning!" she yelled with wide eyes, as she turned to look at her.

"Thank you for all your help, Mrs. Potts."

"No at all, my dear. Now, the Dark One wanted me to let you know that he is out on a deal and shall be back by nightfall."

"Alright. Thank you for coming. I am in your debt," said Belle as she curtsied.

"Not necessary. I'm only paying of f my own debt….. Anyway; if ever should require more assistance just send me a dove," she said picking up her bag waddling over to the front door. "Oh, and there is some tissue damage down below. I would advise against anymore vaginal intercourse for now. If you feel the need try again, you should do so anally." She said.

Belle turned bright red and turned her focus to the floor.

"Get plenty of rest…. Good day, Lady Belle," she said with a bow.

Mrs. Potts opened the door, and waved goodbye, as she closed the door behind her, leaving Belle the way she had always felt….. alone.

Rumple rode along on his all black horse, Shadow, eager to make it in time for the Queen's execution. His skin was back to the familiar greenish-gold he had come to love, and he now found himself wearing the Monster's mask again. Dust and pebbles kicked up underneath his hooves as he went. Rumple spotted the castle walls quickly approaching. He tugged at the reigns, commanding the horse to stop.

"Whoa. Whoa, boy."

Shadow came to a sliding halt; the dirt digging into his hooves, forming a cloud of dust around it. Rumple led shadow to the stables outside the castle wall and waltzed right through the unguarded gates. In fact, the whole kingdom seemed completely empty if not for the cries and cheers of the people huddled in courtyard. Rumple apparated and quietly reappeared just at the edge of the crowd. Two guards led Regina out in handcuffs, and tied her to a wooden pole in the center. Surprising to Rumple she didn't look frightened, but smug. Though her father did; Rumple had spotted him across the way. Snow White and Prince Charming looked on from their thrones. A flying insect, Rumple had recognized to be Jiminy Cricket sped towards and hovered just at her eye level. Rumple was far away, but he could still hear him as if he were inches away.

"Regina… This s your opportunity to meet your end with a clear consciences Do you have any last words?"

Rumple rolled his eyes at the thought that Regina still even possessed a conscience, but the notion of laying everything on the table before you die was a waste to him.

"Yes. Yes I do… I know that I'm being judged for my past. A past where I've caused pain. A past where I've inflicted misery. A past where I've even caused death…. When I….. look back on everything I've done I want you all to know how I feel…. And that is….. regret." Rumple looked around at the faces of the crowd to see if anyone was buying that trash she was spewing. Surprisingly he found mostly skepticism, but some looked like they felt for the Queen. "Regret….. regret that I was not able to cause more pain….." A few people in the crowd gasped in horror, as Regina let out every bit of anger and frustration that she was known for. "… inflict more pain and BRING ABOUT MORE DEATH!" She even had him fooled for a minute, and Rumple couldn't help but smile and be slightly proud of his former apprentice despite all she had done. "AND ABOVE ALL ELSE WITH EVERY OUNCE OF MY BEING, I REGRET….. THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO KILL….. SNOW WHITE!"

Snow White had barely anytime to react before Prince Charming shot angrily to his feet and shouted, "ARROWS!" The soldiers strung up their bows, as commanded. "TAKE YOUR AIM!" They pointed them at Regina, who was being blindfolded by another guard. Rumple's hands glowed a bright red, preparing himself to use magic to stop the execution if needed. He wanted nothing more than to see the Queen die for what she had done to Belle, but this time he wasn't about to sacrifice the chance to find his son. "FIRE!" shouted Charming. Just as the soldiers had let the arrows fly, Snow White had yelled, "STOP!"

Rumple lifted his hands from below his cloak, but the Blue Fairy had beat him to the punch, for she had stopped the arrows in mid air, causing them to fall to the ground harmlessly.

"This is not the way," said Snow White, as she stepped down from her throne and stormed through the crowd.

Rumple was rather relieved; he did not come here with the intent on revealing himself. They had already captured the Evil Queen; he knew they couldn't pass up the chance to put the Dark One behind bars, even though he was only captured if he wanted to be. He was the strongest magic user in all the realms, but he was not fond of confrontation.

"Take her back to her cell," Charming ordered.

The guard untied Regina and escorted her through the crowd. Regina, all the while, flashing everyone and evil smirk that reeked of smugness. Knowing that Regina was safe fro now, Rumple left to the crowd to retrieve Shadow from the stables. He had to return home; his wife was no doubt wondering where he had gone. More importantly he knew he had to face Belle about last night. No more running.

In the courtyard of the Dark Castle, Belle sat quietly on a patch of dead grass, while playing with a bush full of blackened dead flowers.

"Never have I seen a woman so sad." Belle turned to see Flynn, sitting innocently on a bench with his hands folded in his lap. "The only person who ever came close was this girl with very long, very beautiful black hair. I rescued her from a tower."

"The great tough Captain Flynn Rider rescuing damsels in distress? Doesn't sound like you at all," Belle teased.

"Come on….. passing up the chance to spend a night with a lovely girl… you're right that doesn't sound like me now that I'm saying it out loud."

She hid her smile, he did make her laugh as always, but she was in no mood to laugh Things had gotten too out of hand for that.

"I came because you called," said Flynn.

"I didn't call you," said Belle a little puzzled.

"Yes you did. Every living thing has a unique aura about them. Only fools are able to ignore it. And yours is screaming 'I need someone to talk too!'" he said in a hoarse whisper. Belle refocused her attention on the shriveled flower in her hands. "So tell me….. what's troubling you, sis?"

"Rumple and I were married last night."

"Yes, I was there. I wasn't going to miss this one, but that can't be why you are troubled."

"It's not….. it's just… what happened that night was the problem," said Belle, her voice filled with shame.

Flynn thought about it for a few moments; when he finally realized what she meant, his eyes went wide. "Oooooohhhh… I see, but that nothing to be ashamed of."

"As people keep telling me," whispered Belle.

"Would you like some advice?" asked Flynn.

"From you? On the matter of sex with your brother? Really?"

"Yes….." Belle just shrugged; she dropped the shriveled flower on the grass and placed her hands in her lap, waiting patiently for the advice he was so kindly offering. "Look him in the eye," said Flynn like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"That's it?" asked Belle a little confused, partly because she was expecting this long drawn out lecture on how to please a man.

"When you're having coitus with someone, especially when it's someone you love, it's imperative that you look them in the eye, because it's like magic. Sex itself is a form of true love's magic. The possibility of a new life being formed, that's magic. When you look someone in the eye, your surroundings disappear. There is no pain or sorrow, only pleasure and happiness. That is the magic. So encourage him to try again tonight, if you truly want this."

Belle thought about it for a few moments, then nodded. She did want this pleasant experience with Rumple, but she somehow thought it was going to be easier than this. Feeling the need to change the subject, she shifted to talking about his relationship with Rumple.

"So, what exactly happened when you and Rumple were kids? What was he like?"

"Rumple?" Flynn smiled broadly and looked up into the distance while scratching his beard. "He was the kindest boy I had ever met, very sweet, cute, but always a scared little puppy. I know it's cliché, but he was literally scared of his own shadow. He had nightmares every night that his shadow came to life and dragged him into an abyss….. But, Rumple, and I saw this many times when we would play….. he has bursts of courage, and those bursts of courage are unlike anything I had ever seen. Not even in someone who's been courageuos all their life. Rumple has been afraid his whole life. So much has happened that you honestly couldn't blame him for it. Our mothers loved us, but whenever he was scared they would just coddle him… they never taught him to be brave. I was the one doing that; I was teaching him how to be brave, how to be strong, and then I was taken… and then there was no one to continue that lesson. After that Rumple grew up a coward, mind you, he showed a vast improvement, but he didn't believe in himself. That's why he's always been afraid. He lacked the confidence to be brave."

"Are you older than him?" asked Belle.

"I acted as an older brother, but no, he and I are the same age. We share an extremely rare magical bond. We were both born on the same day at the exact same time. It's bond stronger than blood. When that happens, our fates are instantly intertwined. I discovered this shortly after I arrived back in my home world."

"And how did you two meet?"

"My father, was an evil man. One day, while my mother was still pregnant, a seer arrived at the castle and told them of prophecy that his son will kill his father and marry his mother. My mother thought it to be completely absurd and warned my father not to believe it, but he could not help himself. He was the true definition of a coward. A few days after he took me from my mother's arms, placed me in a basket and traveled here, in the Enchanted Forest. He placed me down in the middle of the forest and just left me there…. An infant, sure to die, but that's what he wanted. Anyway, a travelling group of puppeteers just happened to be walking by and they picked me up, brought me up as a house boy rather than a son. Four years later I escaped and I was living on my on, teaching myself to survive, until the day I met a crying boy by the river….."

292 years ago…

Rumple sat on the edge of the riverbank, leaning against a tree trunk with his face in his hands, his knees brought up tight to his chest as he cried. It had been a week since his father had let the shadow take him from Neverland and drop him back in the Enchanted Forest. He had nightmares about it every nigh since then, the moment plagued his every waking thought to the point where all he could do is sit alone and cry just like he's doing now.

"Why are you crying?" asked a tender voice from above him.

Rumple lifted his head from his hands, and was suddenly staring into the eyes of an odd looking boy, inches away, hanging upside down from a tree branch. His eyes, an odd shade of aqua green, were like looking into the purest sea. His long black hair, which went well with his slightly darker tan skin tone, hung freely from his rather large head, barely covering his small pointy ears peaking out from the dark strands. Rumple was frightened; he scrambled backwards until the back of his head hit the tree trunk. He yelped in pain and grabbed it, pulling his head back into his knees. The strange boy hopped down and landed on his feet. Rumple was taken aback when the boy suddenly grabbed him and roughly ran his hands through his hair.

"You hurt your head?" he asked, tilting Rumple's head in awkward positions, while examining the red bump hidden beneath all of his hair.

"Ouch! What are you doing?" Rumple was getting frustrated by the boy's roughness.

"Trying to heal you," he said.

With his head buried in his knees, Rumple could not see what the boy was doing, but only small shimmers of light and warmth coming from the back of his head. His breath caught in his throat at the feeling of no feeling, there was no longer any pain. He looked at the boy with wide eyes, who only grinned back at him and playfully tilted his head back and forth.

"Now, why were you crying?" he asked again.

"My papa left me." *sniffles*"He said I was holding him back. What am I going to do?"

"My father left me too…. At least I don't know, but there's a 50% chance that he did. So, at least you know you're no alone," he said with a big grin.

"You live alone?" asked Rumple wiping his tears on his sleeve.

"Yeah. I live in the forest."

"Well….. if you want….. I can see if my new moms will take you in too. One of them makes the best meat pie ever," said Rumple.

"What's a meat pie?"

Rumple laughed and clambered to his feet. "My name is Rumple by the way….. Rumplestiltskin."

"I'm….. well….."

"Don't you know your name?" asked Rumple with a curious expression. He had seen a lot for a boy his age and met a lot of people, but never one who didn't know their own name.

"Well, the last group I was with who served as my family never named me. They just called me 'boy' all the time."

"Every night my mothers would read me a bedtime story. My favorite one is about this adventurer named Flynn Rider; the strongest, bravest, most handsome, and most intelligent person ever. So, how about Flynn?"

The boy thought about it for a few moments, then smiled before extending his hand. "My name is Flynn," he whispered. Rumple chuckled and shook Flynn's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Flynn," said Rumple with a wide smile. "Come on. We're going home."

Flynn finished telling Belle the story, and from the look in her eyes, she finally understood Flynn's undying love for Rumple; both seemed to have found each other at their darkest time.

"Do you know much about his father?" asked Belle.

"Uh no, he didn't talk about him that much." He was lying of course, but this was a delicate matter he thought best explained to her by Rumple if he ever trusts her enough to tell her.

"What about-" Belle didn't get a chance to finish her question, Flynn's ears had perked up again, he had heard something. Belle looked over across the courtyard. Mrs. Potts was making her way over. Flynn shot out of his seat.

"Remember what I said about your situation. I'll visit tomorrow," he said before he was wrapped in a cloud of blue smoke and disappeared. Belle took his place on the stone bench.

Belle gave a weak smile, as Mrs. Potts sat on the bench next to her.

"I came to check on you," she said.

'Thank you," Belle muttered.

"How are you, my child?"

"Better. Thank you."

Belle concentrated of brushing off a clump of dirt from her dress. She could feel Mrs. Potts eyes on her, but she really didn't want to talk about it, especially with someone she didn't know.

"As many times as I've been up here….. I've always loved this courtyard. Though I always hated the man who owned it." She looked at Bell, who shot her an awkward look at the mention of her husband. "Oh dear…. I'm so sorry….. I meant no offense. I-"

"It's alright. No surprise… I hear that a lot… I don't think anyone will see him the way I do, but he's different around me. Kind, gentle, happy."

"I'm sorry, dear, but you just described a completely different person to me."

Belle chuckled. Most had their negative views about Rumple. It seemed her and Flynn were the only ones, who knew how Rumple really was. Just then, as if responding to his name being called, she spotted Rumple appearing at the front gate and walking towards the double doors. Mrs. Potts had obviously spotted him too, for she shot to her feet and quickly waved goodbye before jogging her way over to Rumple. Belle watched them converse, but looked away when she saw Rumple's gaze fixate on her. Those sad eyes Belle knew so well. Rumple didn't do anything wrong, but it was too embarrassing for her to look at him. What he must think of her… weak….. helpless. All of these ran through her head like a thousand echoes. Before she knew it, she looked over again, Mrs. Potts was now gone, and Rumple was now standing about two feet away, staring blankly at her. Only now his skin had changed back to a normal tannish-pale.

"May I sit next to you?" he asked.

Belle shrugged her shoulders. "It's your castle."

"It's our castle," said Rumple. Belle scooted over, but kept her focus on the strand of grass she was twiddling between her fingers. "I wanted to apologize about last night," said Rumple.

"Why weren't you here when I woke up?" asked Belle.

Rumple paused to collect his thoughts. "I guess….. I guess I could face you or myself. I had hurt you….. again. I was too scared to face the pain."

"But I would've been able to handle it better if you were here."

Rumple didn't say anything; he did know what to say, but he knew she was right. Running was a natural reaction to pain, and he wasn't there when his wife needed him the most. He felt so ashamed. Belle suddenly stood up and reached out her hand for him to take. Rumple looked up at her, then at her open palm, not sure where this was leading.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a painful whisper.

"I'm ready to try again. I want this with you, and we're going help each other through it together."

Rumple smiled and carefully took Belle's hand. She placed a soft kiss on his lips, then tugged him along, back through the castle doors.


	10. The Woman Inside

Belle's heart felt as though it were thumping right out of her chest, as she led Rumple up the stairs to the bedroom they shared. She was nervous again, perhaps more nervous than last night, but she was determined. She pushed the bedroom door open and led him to the right side of the bed. Rumple ignited a fireball from his hand and threw it into the dark fireplace, illuminating the room in a bright orange glow. Belle stepped back and slipped out of her dress. Naked, she crawled into the covers, Rumple's eyes never leaving hers, she sat there in a seductive position, motioning for him to join her. Rumple tore at his clothing, removing each item quickly until he stood naked before her once again. Rumple climbed on top of her and crashed his lips into hers. Belle opened her lags a little to allow Rumple to nestle between them. Her fingers combed threw his long hair, as her other hand clawed at his bare back. Their lips danced over each other, both letting out low-pitched moans in between. Rumple wrapped his arms fully around Belle and rolled them over, getting them even more tangled in the white sheets. She shivered, as he continued to run his fingers over her smooth delicate skin, as his tongue slid naturally against hers. She pushed herself to look down at him; their eyes met and she was surprised to find that she was no longer looking at Rumplestiltskin the man or Dark One, but her husband, her true love who was her future and the center of her world. She grasped his shoulders with both hands and gently rolled him over on his back, as she straddled him. Rumple just stared up into her eyes; he did look a bit confused at her sudden desire to lead in this dance, but he found himself trusting her anyway. She took him in her hand and lowered herself on his hard member; she could feel him fill her up. She soon found that Flynn was right; there was no pain, and keeping her eyes on Rumple's gave herself something to focus on, and take her mind off of it. Their fingers interlocked with each other just as Belle began to move, grinding and rotating her hips, causing him to let out a low moan. The pure pleasure in the pit of his stomach caused Rumple to jet up to a sitting position. Belle stopped, unsure if what she was doing was hurting him; he interlocked his fingers with her hair and brought her down for a passionate kiss, while using his other hand to move her hips back into a grinding motion. Belle gripped his shoulders and pressed her forehead against his, as they breathed heavily. Rumple was now more intoxicated with her than he had ever been, which reflected in his hard thrusts. Belle wrapped both arms around his head, and gripped his long brown hair, as she held him tightly against her, screaming in pleasure at his intense thrusts.

Both were so loud, their cries could be heard throughout the dark quiet castle. Rumple flipped them over on Belle's back, still inside her, he stayed still; looking into her eyes he stroked her cheek with the outside of one finger. Belle reached up and tucked a few locks of hair behind his ear. She brought his head down for another kiss, this one so delicate; it was like being kissed by a butterfly. She opened her legs wider for him to move, and bit her lip, as he began to thrust again, hitting the sweet spot every time. Belle could feel herself reaching the edge; Rumple's face was now buried in the crook of her neck, and she was gripping his bicep to try and hang on. He was thrusting so hard that the sheets began to slide off, revealing his bare bottom moving up and down. Rumple gripped the wooden headboard with one hand, while Belle was clawing at the sheets with hers. He lifted his head and kissed her again, sucking the breath from her lungs. Belle couldn't hold on any longer, and based on the way Rumple was slowing down, she knew he couldn't hold on much longer either. She waited for him, and with a few more earth shattering thrusts, they both reached their orgasms; shouting to the heavens. Belle let out a deep moan, as Rumple filled her up, and she could feel the warmth of him. He collapsed on top of her, trying to catch his breath; she placed a hand on his heaving back. He lifted his head a kissed her again, then pulled out of her before rolling on his side.

"Wow," he whispered.

Belle was speechless; the feeling she had just experienced was so amazing she couldn't form words to describe it. She felt she was invincible now, she had finally connected to the man she loved more than her own life, and it was the most incredible feeling in the universe.

"Belle?"

Belle turned over on her side to look at him.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she said with a wide grin.

Belle scooted over until her head was resting on Rumple's chest, listening to his beating heart; he wrapped his arms around her and held her close until they both fell asleep.

The next morning, Belle woke up to a bright beam of light shinning through the curtains. She rubbed her eyes, and yawned while stretching her arms out. She reached over to feel Rumple's side of the bed, but it was empty; it was always empty. She knew he had things to do, but she wanted to wake up next to him at least once. She swung her legs over the side and heaved herself out of bed, standing up, she suddenly felt dizzy and gripped the bedpost for support. Her stomach dropped so fast the room began to spin, and she felt the need to vomit. She ran across the hall to the lavatory and let loose in an old wooden bucket she used to mop the floors with. Belle felt her forehead; she had a fever, she was burning up, and the sweat dampened her hair, causing it to stick to her forehead. The room began to spin faster, and before she knew it, she had blacked out, and was now lying unconscious on the floor.

Rumple stood at the edge of the forest overlooking the cliffs at the lake below, as he twisted the blindfold used on Regina in his hand. He knew what was coming; he gazed out at the castle belonging to Snow White and her soon to be husband, Prince Charming. He smiled at all the many things falling into place as it should be; now to insure that Regina live. He closed his eyes and emptied his mind; emptied it of everything except rage, hate, and dark deeds, leaving very little room for love and light. This is what brought the beast, and he needed the beast, for the beast is what they were going to listen to, the beast is who they feared, not Rumplestiltskin. He was surrounded by a black cloud, and out of the smoke stood Rumplestiltskin, with his scaly gold green skin and dark reptile eyes. He let out a high-pitched giggle and teleported into the courtyard.

Snow paced back and forth in the courtyard where Regina's botched execution had taken place. She was obviously worried and rightfully so.

"My, my aren't we troubled, dearie," said Rumple from behind, sitting on the throne like he belonged there.

Snow's head snapped around to look at him, she seemed relieved that it was just him, she knew him well enough to not be alarmed, but remain cautious.

"Rumplestiltskin… what brings you here?" asked Snow; she twisted her body with her question, genuinely curious as to why he was here to speak with her.

"Do you really have to ask?" he asked rising from the chair. "I came to witness the Queen's execution….. even had my heart set on a wee souvenir," he said holding up the blindfold. "It's all very disappointing."

"I won't apologize for sparing her life. Not when there's a chance she might change."

Rumple was almost in hysterics; he released another trademark high-pitched laugh and almost jumped up and down like a child.

"RRRRRREEEEEGGINA rrrrredeemed? What a noble thought," he said happily. And how do you plan to accomplish such an impressive feat?" asked Rumple, as he stepped down from the platform.

"I don't even know if it's possible. I'm probably just fooling myself," said Snow sadly.

"Maybe you need someone to show you that it is possible."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple. I provide you with a test to determine whether the Queen can twuly change. " His mind was working now, a deal was like blood in water to him, and he was a hungry shark ready to pounce.

"And why should I trust you when I know you want the Queen dead?" asked Snow suspiciously. "You never make a deal without a price."

"Maybe I just want her alive," said Rumple, and he did. It was all why he was here; he needed Regina to cast his curse, but Snow didn't know that.

"That I doubt."

Rumple let another high-pitched giggle as he paced around her. "Question my motives all you like, dearie, but they shall remain mine….. What is yours now, is opportunity….. I can help you." Rumple's smile widened at the look of interest on Snow's face, he had her, and now it was time to close in. "Do we have a deal?" he asked walking back towards her.

She nodded and he giggled again.

"What's the plan?" asked Snow.

Rumple held up the blindfold and waved his hand around it. A purple light shimmered around it, and he handed it to her.

"Tie this around you….. in a spot where you think you are the most vulnerable. Convince Regina that you will let her go only if she gives up her title as queen and her hatred for you. Give her a knife to help her survive on her own in the woods. You spared her life, we'll see if she returns the favor. If she just leaves and agrees to stop being the evil queen, great, but if she turns the knife on you, you'll have your answer either way. This blindfold will stop any attack; you will not be pierced wherever you are wearing it. Do you understand?" asked Rumple.

"Yes."

"Good," said Rumple, as he turned on his heel. He got some distance from her, before he turned around again, and bowed. "My Lady," he yelled before teleporting out of the courtyard in a cloud of red smoke, leaving Snow alone in the darkness.

Rumple returned to the castle minutes later. He breathed deeply, letting all the hatred and anger leave him, and thought of Belle instead, his love for her and how much light she brought into his life. Taking deep breaths, his looks began to fade and they were replaced by his human form once again. He took off his cloak and hung of the hook next to the door. It was dark, which was strange since he knew Belle was there.

"Belle!" Rumple called.

There was no answer, and now he was worried. He knew how many people wanted him dead or wanted to steal from him, he was worried that someone had broken in, discovered Belle and was now seeing images of Belle dead. He kicked open doors calling her name.

"Belle?! Belle?! BELLE?!" there was nothing but agonizing silence.

He opened the door to the lavatory, and saw her lying on the floor next to a wooden pale. He looked inside, and saw vomit, she was sick. Just incase, he looked her over and saw no signs of a fight or injury. He picked her up and carried her over to their bed, where he placed her down gently. He placed a gentle hand on her head, and felt that she was burning up, a fever he had never felt before. He ran down the stairs, grabbing his cloak on the way and ran out the door where he teleported out of the courtyard.

A few hours later, Rumple paced back and forth, as Mrs. Potts examined a still unconscious Belle. When she was satisfied, Mrs. Potts stood up to pack up her things. She rinsed out a cloth in the bassinette on the nightstand, after wringing it out, she placed it on Belle's forehead. Smiling softly, she picked up her bag and approached him.

"Well? What's wrong with her?"

"This is a very unusual case, but the simplest diagnosis is that she's pregnant."

Rumple couldn't believe his ears, his eyes widened with shock, and he backed up until his back hit the window.

"This soon?"

"What do you mean, this soon?" asked Mrs. Potts with a furrowed brow.

"We only had intercourse last night. And the first time…" Rumple paused, knowing it was a delicate subject; he tried to think of the best way to describe it to her. "… We didn't…. we didn't really….. finish….. the pain was too much for her." Rumple swallowed hard, the images of her agonizing face flashed through her mind, which still tugged at his heartstrings. "Can the egg be fertilized this quickly?"

"Well, my lord, you don't look the part now, but you are the Dark One. It is a possibility that pregnancies with magical beings are….. accelerated," said Mrs. Potts.

Rumple looked over at Belle, all the possibilities were racing through his mind like shards of lightning. He needed to know what all this meant; he needed to do more research. "Will she be alright?"

"I suspect, yes. Her fever is going down, and, as you can see, her color is returning. She should be wake in an hour or so. If that will be all, my lord, I will take my leave," said Mrs. Potts before bowing and walking out the door.

Rumple heard the front door creak open, then slam shut with a thud that echoed throughout the castle. He sat in the chair next to the bed and took Belle's hand in his. Her hand was much cooler now, much to Rumple's relief. A vast improvement compared to the fiery hand he picked up hours earlier. He squeezed it so tight it began to turn purple, then brought it up to his lips, and kissed her knuckles. Then something hit him that he was too preoccupied to think about… Belle was pregnant. Pregnant with their baby, a little piece of him and her was growing inside her. His eyes glistened in the firelight, as they welled up with joy. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head; Belle, oblivious to the amount of responsibility she had coming, lied their still with only her breathing producing movement from her.

Little did Rumple know that outside, Flynn balanced himself on the gargoyle statue just outside the window. With his back pressed hard against the stonewall; he peeked in through the distorted glass, only to see Belle resting peacefully with Rumple sitting beside her. He couldn't tell what happened, but he felt unrest in his brother, and rushed straight over; he had feared Belle's death, and was overjoyed to see that she was alright. The strong wind whipped strands of Flynn's jet-black hair in his face, nearly knocking him off. Seeing Belle was satisfaction enough; he leaped over the edge and landed on the cobbled ground of the courtyard like a cat, effortlessly and softly landing on its feet. He turned and looked back up at the window of his brother's bedroom, wondering how he was going to able to help him through this. The time wasn't right to reveal himself, not yet; for now, all he could do was help Belle, and each time he could only watch the family he loved more than anything through a window, his heart would shed more tears. He pulled his hood over his head and ran into the forest.

The next morning, Belle's eyes fluttered open at the shards light beaming though the opening of the curtains. She took a moment to adjust; her eyes darted around at her surroundings, and she finally remembered that she was in her and Rumple's bedroom. She tried to sit up, but a searing pain from her lower abdomen forced her back down. Belle was so out of it that she hadn't noticed the mass next o her. She looked over to her right to see Rumple sitting next to her with his head in his folded arms resting on the bed. She couldn't see his face, only his back heaving up and down in time with his breathing. She lightly touched his hair; he stirred and looked up. Belle could tell that he wasn't sure where he was either. He took a deep breath, and looked at her. His eyes widened; he took her hand in his.

"Oh, Belle…." He kissed her hand. "My darling, Belle… I'm so sorry."

"What happened?" asked Belle with a hoarse voice. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was until now.

"I returned to the castle, and found you passed out in the lavatory."

"Why?" Belle was still confused, even though it was all starting to come back to her.

"I sent for Mrs. Potts. She came by and looked you over…. Sweetheart, you're pregnant," said Rumple looking away from her as if he were ashamed. In truth he was, but not for the child growing inside her, but for the fact that once again, he had hurt her.

Belle stared at him in disbelief, now it was her turn to widen her eyes. She placed her hand gently on her belly.

"I'm… pregnant?" she asked slightly confused. She knew how the birds and bees worked, but she didn't imagine it could ever happen this fast.

"Yes… Belle, I am so sorry. I-"

"Why are you sorry?" Now Belle was confused, as she looked at him with a furrowed brow.

"You can't have been ready for this. A baby? We've only been married for three days.," said Rumple.

"Does that really matter? I mean look at us… we're having a baby. A little piece of me and you. We're so lucky. We can't shun our daughter already, because knowing this world, they will do that to her anyway in time."

"Or it will be a boy. And yes I know the world will shun him. He's the son of the Dark One. He's bound to be different. All the same if it were a girl."

"Let's not worry about that now," Belle whispered, as she took his hand in hers and placed it on her belly. "I am no longer an innocent girl. I am a woman. A future mother."

Rumple beamed at her, and kissed her softly on her lips before resting his head on her shoulder.

"I love you," said Rumple into the crook of Belle's arm.

"I love you too," she said, as they both rubbed her stomach gently.

The next day, Belle, who had been lying in bed for the past 32 hours, decided to take a troll through the courtyard again. It was getting late, and the sun was going down, but Belle wanted to stay to watch the sunset at least. She felt a small throbbing sensation in her belly, and figured it was time to sit. She reached down and picked up a daisy from the grass, and watched the pedals dance in the wind.

"I'm so glad you are well enough to come outside now," said a voice behind her. She smiled recognizing it immediately as Flynn's.

She turned around to see him standing behind her, only he did not look like himself. His hair was a mess, there dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, and he walked as if he were stiff all over.

"Flynn, you look terrible. What happened?" asked Belle.

"I…..uh….." He slowly walked around and sat next to her on the bench. "I was worried. I didn't want to leave you alone, so I slept in the tree over yonder until you were well enough to come outside."

Belle sat next to him in stunned silence, the kindness and concern Rumple and Flynn were giving her now was far better than she had ever gotten at home. Not that her father didn't care, but being lord of the village required the majority of his time, and with the two brothers she actually felt like she was visible.

"Thank you, Flynn."

"Of course, you're family. And the Stiltskin Clan….. we take care of our own…. So, tell me….. what happened to you?" asked Flynn.

"Well, long story short….. I'm pregnant."

Belle watched happily at the smile growing on Flynn's face.

"What? Really?" asked Flynn so excited he began to fidget in his seat.

"Yes. You're going to be an uncle….. again."

Flynn chuckled and ran his fingers through his long black hair, smoothing it down a bit.

"So, you tried again… you know…. with Rumple?"

"Yes….. I took your advice. It worked. Thank you."

"Well it's not everyday I give my sister-in-law advice on how to do the birds and the bees with my brother, but I'm happy to help," said Flynn with a smile.

Belle laughed, and blushed a little, but her smile faded when she remembered the next question that she wanted to ask him. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you," said Belle.

"Alright. What is it?"

"You've been separated from Rumple for a few centuries. Why haven't you tried to reunite with him? Why are you still skulking in the shadows?"

Flynn looked up and stared at the forest in the distance while scratching and pulling at his long beard, as he contemplated his answer.

"The simple truth is… for his own safety," said Flynn.

"Safety?" Belle was intrigued.

"You see the King of my home kingdom back in the elven realm took a special interest in me, and when I say special interest, I mean he wanted to do anything and everything he could to keep me miserable….. so, he quickly found out about the brother I seemed so desperate to get back to, and he threatened to kill him should I ever have any interaction with him again."

"But Rumple is the Dark One… He's immortal. They couldn't have been able to kill him after that, why did you join him then?' asked Belle.

"Research the history of the Dark One. Back in the beginning of our time, the elves created the Enchanted Forest, it was their homeland, but then humans found their way here. And even though they feared the elves, the two races came to a truce, but men were imperfect and ruled by fear and greed, so in order to insure peace throughout the realm, the Elf King then, and his grand masters forged a dagger and created a powerful curse that would consume a willing human with purely dark energy needed to enforce the peace, but the humans stole the dagger and used the power of the Dark One to chase the elves from this realm. That all being said, the elves created the Dark One's curse, you don't think they created a safety valve for getting rid of him just in case. They know how to kill him, Belle, and there are still those out there that want me to suffer. I'm protecting him. But, I eagerly await the day that I can interact with him again."

Belle just stared at him, as he flashed her a sad smile. Every time she met with Flynn, he shared an abundance of information with her that was very hard to grasp first hearing it. She knew he was right, Rumple was her husband now, she needed to know more about the curse and it's origin. She needed to know what it felt like, how she could help him overcome it, because she was beginning to realize that no matter how many kisses she gave or how she tried to steer his choices towards good, it was the curse that was fully possessing him and dictating his choices. He originally thought he could turn the curse towards good; maybe there was a way to turn the curse into a gift, turn the magic into light. She darted her eyes at Flynn, who she was sure was staring at her for quite sometime while she was so lost in thought. She looked down at the grass shifting with the wind, and blushed; she could hear Flynn chuckle a little. It was getting colder outside, and she shivered, as the wind blew the autumn leaves around the stone floors. Winter was definitely on it's way.

"You should head inside. It's not healthy for you or the baby to be out here in this cold."

They both stood up; Flynn leant her his arm to link with, and she happily obliged before they walked arm and arm back to the castle doors.

"Alright. You take care, Belle. And remember…. I'm always watching over you both," said Flynn.

Belle's eyes began to tear up, and without thinking, she grabbed Flynn and pulled him close to her chest. He smelled like morning dew and grass, just like Rumple. Flynn reluctantly tightened his arms around her, and squeezed tightly. He didn't know what to make of it; no one had ever hugged him like this; not since her mother. She let go, and Flynn smiled warmly at her.

"You take care of yourself, Flynn. You're special to me."

Flynn nodded and waved at her. "Goodbye for now, Belle." And with that he vanished in a cloud of blue smoke, leaving Belle alone at the castle doors.


	11. The Crocodile's Tears

**Ok, sorry to my loyal fans that this chapter took so long. Everything in my world has been a bit hectic, and given the recent rumbelle arc, it's been hard to feel good about rumbelle, but, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy.**

Regina paced back and forth in front of her magic mirror, who was staring back at her, as if he were waiting for orders. It was Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding today, and the whole realm had gone to attend, surprisingly she was not invited. Her mind drifted to what Snow had said to her in that cell. It made her hate her even more, showing her sympathy when all she wanted was her death. She wanted to strangle her in her sleep, but whatever attempt she makes it gets thwarted. Her father poked his head in from around the corner.

"You have a visitor," he said.

"Who?" Regina asked in a forceful tone, she was in no mood to talk to anyone, not even her father.

"Do you really have to ask? What other friends do you have, dearie?" Rumple chirped from behind her.

Regina turned to see Rumple sitting in her armchair giggling like a happy child. She rolled her eyes, and continued to pace around the room.

"You're no friend. Have you come to relish in my suffering?" asked Regina, while her father bowed and left the two enchanters alone.

"I thought you'd want someone to help raise your spirits. Especially on a day like today." Said Rumple, slapping his thighs like an excited child.

"What's so special about today?" asked Regina looking disgusted, knowing full well what today was.

"Why Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding, of course. Didn't you get an invitation?" Regina rolled her eyed; Rumple seemed to be extra playful, and she was in no mood. "Ah, me neither," he said with an evil grin. "Still, nice to see them declare their twue love in front of the entire kingdom… Happy ending after all." Normally that kind of notion made him sick, but ever since Belle had come into his life, he understood it. He was living his partial happy ending, now all he needed was Bae, and with convincing Regina to cast the curse, hopefully he will be one step closer to finding his lost boy.

"Well, because of you, there's nothing I can do to stop it." Regina was looking at as if she wanted to tear his limbs off and burn them, but that was always the case when she looked at him. She sashayed across the room and sat in front of her dresser mirror. "No way to harm them in this land ever again," she said loud enough for Rumple to hear 30 ft. away.

"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's true….. in this land." Rumple smiled when Regina stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him, suddenly interested in what he had to say.

"What?" she said so softly from shock and curiosity that she stood rooted to the spot, eager to hear what he was going to say next.

"The deal I made was explicit….. You can never harm them in this land. But if you were to bring them to another land…. Well. Pity how they never listen when they come to me for deals."

The corners of Regina's mouth began to slowly move up into an evil smile, a trademark of hers. Admittedly, Rumple was happy to see that grin, in a way, it made him feel proud of her.

Rumple leaned in closer and winked at her. "Told you I was your friend," he said, almost laughing, before vanishing in cloud of red smoke.

3 months later…..

Belle sat in the library, her nose buried deep in a book. He didn't know it, but these few months, Belle had dedicated herself to finding away to break Rumple's curse, since true love's kiss didn't seem to be working. She flipped through the pages, almost violently out frustration that she had once again come up with no answers. Belle heard to door at the foot of the stairs creek open and clicking of Rumple's heels coming up the staircase.

"Belle?" he called.

Belle quickly closed the book on the Dark One's history and shoved it behind the pillow on the daybed. She grabbed a storybook from the table and opened it to whatever page to make it look lie she had been reading that book instead. Rumple appeared at the top of the stairs, smiling as he made his way over.

"How are you sweetheart?" he asked.

"Fine," said Belle.

"And the baby?"

Belle smiled, put the book down, and stood up to reveal her round belly. Rumple smiled at her again and kneeled down to kiss her stomach. He rubbed it a few times before rising to his feet and kissing his wife firmly on the lips. She pulled away before pressing their heads together lovingly as she stroked his dark hair.

"What have you been up to today?" she asked, taking his arm and linking it with hers.

"Just working in the lab. You?"

"Oh, just organizing these books. I like my library organized a certain way."

Belle heard Rumple sigh with frustration, and she guessed what was coming next.

"Belle you really shouldn't exhaust yourself," said Rumple, as they both descended the stairs.

"I'm fine, Rumple, really. I didn't do a whole lot today."

Rumple raised his eyebrow and looked at her in mild disbelief. This past year, for what seemed like 30, they had gotten to know each other very well. He could tell very quickly when she was lying.

"Alright. Fine. It's late now anyway. We should both get to bed."

He held out his arm for her to take, which she did, and helped her down the stairs. As they walked through the halls of the castle, Belle thought an opportune time to ask a few questions.

"What have you been working one?"

"What?" asked Rumple; he was surprised, she had never asked him about his work before, nor did he want to tell her. She definitely wouldn't approve of the curse he was working on. In actual fact, he was sure that when the curse would hit, he'd be saying goodbye to her and their child. He may have a different skin, but he was still the beast trying to find his son. But's she couldn't know that, he wanted her to be blissfully ignorant for now, everything would be revealed in due time, but he knew that by making this curse for Regina, he was more than likely trading one love for another, but he wanted to spend as much time with her as he possibly could. Events were being set in motion and tomorrow night was the key to everything. He needed to be in the right place when that curse hit, and now, all he had to do was wait.

"Rumple?" asked Belle after he had stayed silent for several moments.

"Oh…um…. I'm working on a potion that um….. restores dead plants. The garden certainly needs it," Rumple stammered through that brief explanation, but he knew she was way too smart to buy something like that.

"Ok. I was going to have them rooted up and new ones planted, but we can do it your way," said Belle. She didn't believe what Rumple had told her. She remembered what Flynn had said to her, and based on that, though he would not reveal what was coming, she knew deep down it was life changing, whatever it was.

"I'll be away tomorrow night. Won't be back until late," said Rumple.

"What's going on?" asked Belle, a bit curious and slightly frightened.

"Nothing serious. Business."

And with that, Rumple kissed her on the cheek and waltzed inside their bedroom, leaving Belle there alone. She twiddled her thumbs as she looked up and down the empty hallway. She took a deep breath and joined him in the room. Whatever was going on, she was going to have to figure it out later.

The next morning, Belle woke up alone again, as she felt for her husband's body. She suddenly remembered that he said he would be gone all day. Giving up on worrying, she hauled herself out of bed and threw on a robe. She left the bedroom and headed back down the hall to the library, but the library was not at all how she left. Books were scattered all over the floor, shelves bent, and pages torn from books that formed a small pile on the floor. Belle looked the carnage, all her favorite books and the research that she had collected over the past 3 months was now ruined. She could barely form the words; only soft squeals of anguish erupted from her throat. Belle whipped her head around, as the sounds of movement came from the far corner. She placed a hand protectively over her belly and moved closer. His back was to her, but she could tell it was man, dressed in black leather, throwing books aside like they were cheap trash. Belle watched him for a few more moments; he seemed to have not heard her approaching. He threw the last book down in anger; he moved slightly and Belle spotted a shiny metal hook where his left hand should be.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The man whipped around with his sword and pointed it at her. Belle puts her hands up in defense. Now she was getting a good look at him; he was handsome for sure, he wore a lot of jewelry, the dark lines around his eyes brought out the blue in them, and accented his short black hair and black stubble. He was dressed more similarly to Flynn, but less clean; it was clear to her then that she was looking at a pirate.

"Tell me where it is, girl." He said menacingly.

"What?" Belle was more than confused at this point.

"The dagger- Rumplestiltskin's dagger! Where is it?!" he was shouting now, and Belle was growing increasingly more afraid by the minute.

"I don't know what your talking about," said Belle. She did, but there was no way she was going to let this man kill or control her husband, whatever his plans were.

He looked down at her growing belly and chuckled.

"Oh I think you do….. That's his, right? The spawn growing inside you is the Crocodile's?" he asked motioning to her stomach.

Belle didn't answer him, but her silence only confirmed it for the stranger, who was laughing as if he had just found the richest treasure cove in all the realms.

Who are you?" Belle asked again.

"You haven't heard of me?" he asked, waving the hook in front of her. "Disappointing. My name is Captain Hook, at your service… Now I always enjoy breaking women's hearts, I mean look at me. I'm the most dashing man alive," he said with a smirk.

Belle rolled her eyes at the pirate's self-proclamation. He reminded her too much of Gaston.

"You know I thought the dagger would be enough to end his miserable life, but seeing you here now, I think I'll take away what he loves most. He can truly know what feels like to lose the someone you love, and such a pity too, you are very beautiful," said the pirate with an evil smirk.

Belle watched his eyes turn from casual flirtation to blood thirsty killer. She knew what was coming; she gathered the last bit of strength she had left and ran in the opposite direction towards the stairs. She managed to get to the second floor and was about quickly descend the grand staircase, when she felt a foot kick her down and she lost balance. She tried to contort her body to land on her back, but her feet got tripped up as she fell. She fell face first in the middle of the staircase, bashing her face and stomach on the marble stairs before rolling down the rest of the way. When she finally reached the marble floor, she was barely conscious. Her vision began to get foggy and she was into much shock to speak. Her eyes began to well up with tears, and she could manage to let out a few hoarse whispers.

"Rumple…. Flynn," she was so quiet. She could here the faint footsteps of Captain Hook descending the staircase.

Her eyes looked straight ahead, and the front doors burst suddenly open. She could make out the figure standing there; it was Flynn, and he looked as angry as she'd ever seen him. Her hearing was now muffled and she could only hear ringing. She watched Flynn approach the pirate, drawing his sword. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the sparks flying from the clash of steal against steal.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG! Flynn had lost himself completely in his anger. Their swords had caught each other, and Flynn was winning in their struggle of brute strength. He glanced over at Belle, who was lying on the floor with a pool of blood surrounding the lower half of her body. Flynn pushed Hook off and swung his sword again, connecting with the flesh on his arm, blood spattered across the floor. Hook tripped Flynn and ran out the front door; Flynn started to pursue him, knowing he could chase him down and kill him in an instant, but instead he thought he'd wait, he had to see to Belle. He sheathed his sword and ran over to kneel down next to her. Based on the bloodstain on her dress, he could tell the blood was coming from her womanhood; it was the baby. He held his hands over her belly and tried to use his magic to examine her, but he found he was too late. He could sense no life energy coming from the womb; he was dead. Flynn tried his best to hold back the tears; he still had to save Belle, whose head injury was extremely severe. If he didn't do something, she would be joining her unborn son. He hovered his hand over the large gash on the side. A white light surrounded it, as he moved it back and forth over the wound. Satisfied that she was safe, he stopped and picked her up in his arms, before carrying her upstairs. He laid her down on the bed, feeling her forehead again; he found that she was extremely warm. She had a temperature; he figured he had better fetch Mrs. Potts, for there was a limit to his knowledge of medical care.

He brought back Mrs. Potts to the castle almost as fast as he had left. With her medicine bag in hand, they were both taking long strides on their way to the master bedroom, where Belle's time was ticking away.

"You know, I still don't know who you are," said Mrs. Potts to Flynn whose eyes remained focused on the hallway.

"There will be time for that, but for now Belle needs a doctor," he said.

"Yes, she seems to be needing one a lot lately," said Mrs. Potts.

Flynn ignored her snide comment, and kept moving, mostly knowing that she was right. Ever since Belle came into this family, her danger level had seemed to increase drastically. They reached the bedroom, Flynn bursting through the doors, Mrs. Potts immediately ran to Belle's side.

"Can you help her?" asked Flynn.

Mrs. Potts ignored him while examining Belle's condition. She felt her forehead a few times while reaching around for her pulse. Her hand hovered over the bloodstain on her dress, then she looked at Flynn.

"I need to examine her further. Meaning, it is not proper for a man to be present for this," she whispered.

"I already know the baby is dead. I felt it," said Flynn frantically.

"You want me to help her, pirate, then you have to let me examine her myself."

Flynn was thrown off; he hadn't told her whom he was, so how did she know he was a pirate?

"Very well," he whispered before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Flynn paced leisurely outside, stopping occasionally to stare at the door, then continue his pace. He measured he had to been out in the hall for about two hours. He suddenly felt his emotions boil inside him. All the sadness, anger, pain, and disappointment had been pushed down to concentrate on Belle, but now his knuckles were white and a storm was brewing in his head, and all he could think about was jamming his sword into Hook's chest. He punched the stone wall; his fist burst through, with rumble and smoke falling over his wrist. He looked at his now broken and bloodied hand. He could've have healed himself, but he didn't want to, he needed the pain, it was his punishment for failing to protect his family. He had to be in as much pain as Belle. The door swung open and Flynn immediately put his wounded hand behind his back. Mrs. Potts stood in the doorway, wiping her hands on a clean cloth.

"You can come in now," she said.

Flynn followed her in to see Belle looking normal, as if she were just sleeping; he breathed a sigh of relief, as he noticed the color had returned to her cheeks.

"You were right, the baby is dead… I'm sorry."

"Thank you for saving her," he said.

"I didn't do much, in fact, I'd say it was this," she said holding up a glass vile containing a bright pinkish liquid.

"What is that?" asked Flynn.

"Well, sir, I have my ways of healing, everyone does, I was about to give her a medicine that I concocted on my own, but I needed to make sure her blood would accept it, but then it did the funniest thing, the blood turned purple. See this medicine only works on full-fledged humans, not magical creatures. So, I gave her blood another dose of a certain plant I picked up in my travels. Call it a test, if you will, and I got this result….. this pink fluid. You see, I've only seen blood like this one time, and that's when I encountered a wounded fairy on the side of the forest."

Flynn swallowed hard, Belle's lineage and dormant powers were supposed to be a secret between him and her family. He did not look at the older woman, instead his eyes darted around; he was usually good at hiding his thoughts, but not now.

"I'm guessing based on your look and silence, that you somehow know about this. I did not do anything because Belle healed on her own. I merely put a cold cloth on her head to bring her fever down."

Flynn's brow furrowed, and he looked at her with confusion. Fairies didn't heal on their own; they were typically the easiest of the magical creatures to kill. Fairies had to be conscious to heal or at least be healed by another of their kind.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Yes. I watched it happen."

"Fairies don't just heal on their own, only elves and certain other creatures can do that."

"You seem to know a lot about this…. Who are you?" asked Mrs. Potts with a fiery look in her eyes. Flynn could tell she was getting more anxious and suspicious as time went on.

"My name is Flynn Rider," he said just before watching her eyes almost pop out of her head.

"You're the great Captain Flynn Rider?" she asked in disbelief.

"I wouldn't say 'great' but yes. You've heard of me?" Flynn didn't expect his name to reach this far into the forest.

"My husband served on your ship for a number of years," she said.

"Did he? What's his name?" asked Flynn, now extremely curious.

"Bill," said Mrs. Potts, as she placed her hands on her hips, and glaring at him as if he were a disappointing child. For not remembering.

"There were a lot of Bills on my ship," said Flynn, who was drawing blank as to who she was talking about, very few of his crewmembers mentioned families.

"You called him Bootstrap."

Flynn's eyes lit up, and he suddenly remembered, as he smiled warmly at her. "Yes. Bootstrap Bill. I remember now. If I recall he actually left my ship a few years after joining."

"Yes, he did. A lot happened since then, being how that was 50 years ago, but you don't look a day over twenty. Now, why is that?" she asked with an interrogating look in her eyes.

Flynn chose to ignore the question; there was only so much he wanted to reveal to her. "Look I know you don't trust me right now. And you have every right not to, because I am not a nice guy, but I care a great deal about this woman. Belle is half fairy, but I need you to keep that between us. She could be in great danger. The fairies are known for their kindness and practice of light magic, but they are very strict about their rules and fornicating with humans or, anyone for that matter, it is forbidden, that is one of their top three rules in the 'fairy way of life' handbook. Belle is the only fairy-human hybrid in existence; if they find out about her they'll either kill her or seal her away for eternity. I can't let that happen. So, please, for her safety, keep this discovery to yourself."

Mrs. Potts sighed, then looked at Belle, who was still sleeping peacefully in bed, unaware of the tragic news that awaited her when she woke up. She went over gently moved a strand of hair from her face. Flynn studied her intensely, as she did so.

"Very well," she whispered.

"Good. I also need you to wait here until Rumplestiltskin returns. He needs to hear the news from someone, and I suspect that Belle will be asleep for another few hours."

"You want me to stick around to tell the Dark One that his unborn child is dead? I don't think so. You are aware of his temper, right?" she asked in utter disbelief and fear.

"I am aware. He won't lay a hand on you. I won't allow it."

Oh….. great," she yelled, as she threw her arms up.

"You'll be fine. I promise, I'll be back soon," he said, as she walked over to the door.

"Wait! You're leaving?! Where are you going?" she asked frantically.

"I'm going to find the man that murdered my unborn nephew."

Mrs. Pott's breath caught in her throat, she wasn't sure what he had just said, but she needed to hear it again. Only, it was too late, Flynn had poofed away.

Flynn appeared at the docks in a cloud of smoke. He drew his sword and stormed off to the port that held the Jolly Roger. He made his way up the plank; Hook's crew were doing their usual duty of keeping the ship in pristine condition. One looked up to see Flynn hopping down onto the deck, and suddenly found himself surrounded by his entire crew, who seemed to have been lying in wait for him, but Flynn didn't care, he could take every single crew member out with a flick of his hand, he just wanted Hook.

"HOOK! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE! DON'T HIDE BEHIND YOU CREW! YOU KNOW I COULD KILL THEM IN AN INSTANT!" yelled Flynn.

He heard a crewmember gasp, and the rest began to back away. Flynn looked up to see Hook standing there with his sword drawn in front of the Captain's quarters, clutching his bleeding side.

"I'm here, gent. Can I help you on this fine evening?" Hook asked toying with Flynn's emotions.

"You know damn well why I'm here you evil bastard. You know I have laughed at the notion you pull out of the black abyss you call a soul that you're a gentleman. You just killed an unborn child. I care about that girl very much."

"It's just another wench. Soon Rumplestiltskin will be between her legs again and another one of his demon offsprings will be growing inside her in no time. She is after all, his whore."

The crew laughed at his crass comment, Flynn gripped the hilt of his sword and got into his fighting stance. Hook backed up a little, as if he were a puppy trying to fight a lion.

"Let's finish this fight, Hook. Only one of us leaves here alive. You have dishonored my family for the last time."

Hook looked around, and laughed again; Flynn swung his sword down swiftly, but a tad slower than his normal hyper speedway of fighting he had learned during the wars. Hook barely had time to block before their swords connected causing a clang to ring out over the docks. The crew scattered to different places amongst the ship while Hook and Flynn fought. Hook was having an exceptionally hard time, while Flynn was barely breaking a sweat. Their swords connected several times over, as Hook's crew cheered him on, but he was proving to be no match for Flynn's anger, which had him on the deck trying desperately to block his attacks. Flynn slashed across his face, causing Hook to yelp in pain and cover his bleeding face. He used his foot to trip Hook, who fell to his knees; Flynn quickly used his other foot to kick Hook's sword out his hand, and with the same swift motion, he plunged his sword into Hooks chest. The crew stood in stunned silence, as they gazed at their captain kneeling on the ship's deck with his sword sticking out of his back. Flynn could see the light leaving Hook's eyes. He gripped his sword again, and used his foot to push Hook off. Flynn smiled at Hook's blood coating his blade. Hook collapsed onto the deck and Flynn disappeared, leaving the stone crew to dispose of their fallen leader.

Miles away, Rumple waited patiently for a young girl to appear before him. This young girl was crucial to the events that would happen next. Cinderella stood outside with her sad eyes staring at the ground, as she swept, while her stepmother and stepsisters attended the Prince's ball. Rumple watched intensely from a afar, he hoped down off the tree branch and was about to appear before when he noticed a glittering dust appearing out of thin air, swirling itself around Cinderella and taking the form of a full sized fairy. Rumple stopped and hid behind another tree branch. He was growing angrier by the second; this fairy was ruining his plans. He felt a tingle all over his body, as his skin began to change color, along with his eyes; he was the Dark One once again. He formed a fireball in his hand, and threw it at her, making a direct hit. The fairy disintegrated into a cloud of dust, much to the young woman's shock. Rumple picked up the fairy's wand off the cobblestone ground, a little prize for his kill, a wand to add to his collection. He grinned at the shock on her face.

"What did you do?" Cinderella asked breathless.

"Now, now….. I got what I wanted," said Rumple waving the dead fairy's wand in front of her.

"You killed my fairy godmother," she was horrified, but Rumple didn't seem to be swayed by this, he had a better plan after all.

"Fairy's are the most evil of magical creatures, they grant happiness while taking it away from someone else at the same time, that's no happy ending. I did you a favor."

Cinderella took a few steps back; Rumple knew he had to do something to keep her close; he offered what he did best, a deal.

"I can help you with your little problem," said Rumple in cheery voice.

"How do you know I have a problem?"

"Why else would the fairy be coming to see you?"

Cinderella moved a bit closer, she obviously terrified by his appearance, and more apprehensive about his motivations. He paced around her, while twirling the wand in his hand.

"What can you do?" she asked spinning around to keep up with his movements.

"Why I can help you get to the ball, of course."

"You can?" her smile now stretched across her face.

"Yes, but it will cost you," said Rumple in a much darker tone.

"Ok. What? Money? I have nothing."

"Oh, but you will….. in time. And when that time comes, you will give me something,… precious." Rumple was inches from her face, but it his usual tactic of intimidation.

"I'll give you anything," she blurted out, clearly not knowing what she had just done.

"Now, we're talking, dearie." Rumple was getting even more excited now, almost aroused. He was closing in on his prey, now he just had to catch her.

"What do I do?" she asked.

"All you have to do is sign on the dotted line," he said, magically summoning a scroll in his hand, and letting it roll out in front of her.

At the tope of the scroll, it read "Contract" in big gold letters. Cinderella didn't hesitate; she quickly took the scroll and pen, and signed it, using Rumple's back as sort of desk. Rumple let out his trademark high pitched laugh and glanced over the signature. He waved his hand and the contract disappeared.

"Alright, ready?"

Cinderella shook her head in excitement. Rumple took a few steps back and waved the wand. Fairy dust erupted from the tip and showered over her like rain, while forming a sparkly blue dress that clung to her perfectly. She looked down on it with wide eyes, then looked at Rumple, who was admiring his own handiwork. Rumple waved the wand again, and a carriage with two horses pulled up beside her. A coachmen leaped from the back, and helped her inside.

"Be careful, have fun… And remember to watch the clock. You only have until midnight, he said.

She waved goodbye to him, as the carriage pulled away, satisfied with a good days work, he felt it was time to return home to his wife. He let his calming thoughts wash over him, and he gazed at his reflection in a puddle on the ground; he had turned back to normal, which was good because he didn't like Belle to see him as the Dark One.

Rumple arrived back at the castle feeling satisfied with himself. Finally things were coming to a head. He only had a few months left and he could travel to the land where Bae had gone, after that he just had to wait 28 years, that's the tricky part, but he's been patient for 250 years, he can be a bit more patient. He stopped in his trophy room; something was wrong. Belle always knew when he came back, and was there to greet him. It was a lot colder than usual, and he couldn't escape the feeling of sudden dread. He ran up the stairs leading to the library, hoping on every other step. There was a massive pile of torn books and naked papers all over the library, broken shelves and feathers from the daybed pillow.

"Belle?!" he called out frantically, but there was no answer.

He ran back down the stairs as fast as he could and back out to the foyer. He was starting to panic now; Belle was his wife, his true love, and now the mother of his unborn child, if something happened to either one of them…..

"Belle?! BELLE?!" his calls were getting more and more frantic. He looked around for a bit, then finally decided to check upstairs.

"Up here, my lord."

Rumple looked up at the head of the staircase, where Mrs. Potts was standing. Rumple was confused to see her there, and his eyes reflected that.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Your wife is in the bedroom. You should see her now," she said.

Rumple ran past her and down the hall towards the master bedroom. He opened the door, to see Belle lying on the bed, her breasts moving up and down in time with her soft breathing, but her stomach wasn't as round, as when he had left that morning. He immediately went to her side and took her hand in his, while gently petting her head with his other hand. Mrs. Potts creeped in, careful to keep her distance from him. He looked up at her, with tears in his eyes; deep down he knew what she was going to tell him.

"What happened? Is she alright? Is the baby?"

"I'm sorry, my lord, your unborn child is dead…."

Rumple almost didn't hear her, he went deaf an d the weight of the whole world seemed to have crashed down on him, as he tried to find something, anything to lean onto, but instead dropped to his knees. He broke down where he knelt, he couldn't help himself, and his shoulders shook with the intensity of his cries. He buried his face in the Belle's wrist, while he squeezed her hand. He had never cried in front of anyone except Belle since the day he became the Dark One, but he didn't care about that now. He suddenly stopped sobbing, and looked up at Belle with pure anger and hatred in his eyes, and his desire for revenge was now in full swing, but first he knew he had to find out who had done this.

"How did you know to come here?" he asked.

"I was summoned," she said.

Rumple was now on his feat and slowly making his way over to the older woman with fire in his eyes.

"By who?" he asked.

"A man. He told me to come, that my lady needed help, and I was to tell no one."

"Far fetched story. Only you and I know of your connection to Belle. You're protecting someone…"

"No. No, I'm not. I don't know his name."

"What did he look like?! 

"He looked like me." Rumple turned towards the door to see a man standing there, only he thought he was seeing déjà vu, the scars on his face, the way his hair fell over his ears, and it was unmistakable, the tan skin, the pointy ears, and most of all the aqua green eyes and that dopey grin. Rumple couldn't find the words. He was looking at the face of his long dead brother, now standing before him. The brother whose death had weighed heavily on his heart for 277 years.

"Flynn?" Rumple couldn't believe it, his brother, who he thought to be dead, was now standing in front of him. He believed his grief was starting to take its toll in a far worse way. "I thought you were dead."

"Believe me, brother, for all the years I spent apart from you, I certainly was."


	12. Sorrow of the Beauty

"How is this possible?" Rumple asked walking around Flynn in a circle, examining him closely, almost burning a hole through him with his eyes.

"I didn't get lost and die in the forest as you and our mothers believed. I was kidnapped by elven soldiers and taken back to my home world." Flynn's head swiveled in around along with Rumple's movements, as he spoke. He had been anticipating telling his brother the truth for many, many years now, but it all still seemed incredibly overwhelming eve for him, so overwhelming the he balled up his fists at his sides so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Why didn't you come back? I thought you loved us," Rumple seemed more confused now than ever, and the last thing Flynn wanted was Rumple to be angry with him. "I blamed myself for 297 years. You died because I was afraid."

"No. No….." Flynn swiftly moved closer to him, and Rumple jumped back. "I've been watching you everyday since then. I know you blame yourself, and I know after everything I don't deserve to ask you for anything, but please… release yourself of that burden. My kidnapping was not your fault and you mustn't think that any longer."

"Why didn't you come back?" asked Rumple timidly.

"I couldn't. I was taken back once the Queen discovered where I was. You know the history between the humans and the elves," said Flynn.

"Yes… I remember our mothers used to tell it to us as a bedtime story," said Rumple with fondness.

Flynn smiled a little. "Yes. And you also know that elves are forbidden to spend any time with humans. I tried, Rumple….. many times… I did, but they always kept a good eye on me. I made it to this land a few times. Sometimes I would look into the window and see you spinning with our mothers, but I was always dragged back until eventually, the King grew tired of my shenanigans and said that if I ever came near you again, he would have you killed. So, I had to stay away from you and settle for watching you from afar until I could find a way to destroy my enemies who threatened you."

"And did you?" asked Rumple, as he walked to the pair of armchairs across the room in front of the fireplace.

"I'm here aren't I? Though I much rather to have waited until your curse was cast and broken."

Rumple's eyes widened and he looked up, as he plopped down into the chair. "How do you know about that?" asked Rumple as he watched Flynn sit in the chair then quickly stand back up.

"I'm sorry… may I sit?" he asked, to which Rumple waved a flimsy hand to give him the go ahead. "Thank you. I told you before, brother…. I've been watching you. I know you're every move, every dirty trick you've pulled, every deal you've made, and every heartbreak. Including Baelfire…. And Milah."

Rumple's eyes darted to the floor, both of what used to be the greatest pains of his life was now added to the loss of his unborn child. He hated feeling this vulnerable, and was even more upset that after years of playing the heartless monster, he was now discovering another person who saw behind the mask, and he loathed the fear of someone knowing who he truly was. Close attachments like that were not good in this world where everyone feared him and did not dare cross him. How can someone who knows the truth about the village coward he was inside ever respect him? "I don't want to talk about it," he said coldly, while slouching down in his seat.

"Very well. My original plan was to keep a distance and meet you in the world without magic, but then Hook broke in here and attacked Belle-"

"Hook?" Rumple looked straight at him, and Flynn shivered a little at the expression on his brother's face, one of a killer.

"Yes. Killian Jones aka Captain Hook is the one that broke in here and nearly killed your wife, but succeeded in killing your unborn son," said Flynn.

"Why? I should've…." He shot to his feet and angrily flipped the table over causing the tea set to smash into the wall. "I SHOULD'VE KILLED HIM WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!" he screamed.

Flynn quickly jumped to his feet as well and clasped his hand on Rumple's shoulder. "Brother, we must be calm. For Belle's sake."

Rumple glanced over to the bed where Belle was still sleeping soundly. He took a few deep breaths and slowly lowered himself back into his seat along with Flynn. He looked up at his brother with those dark reptile eyes.

"I will have his heart for this," he said through gritted teeth.

"No need. I've already taken care of it."

Rumple wasn't sure he heard Flynn right.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Hook…is…dead," said Flynn.

He gazed at Rumple, watching the blood in him slowly boil to the point where his whole face began to turn greenish gold.

"You took that away from me?"

"Brother, I-"

"You jump back into my life, tell me this story like it's going to fix the pain I've been through, and then you take my revenge away from me?!"

"Think about what you have left, Rumple! I've spoken with Belle many times. I did you a favor! Because I know for a fact, she does not want the monster you pretend to be!" Flynn said harshly, but truthfully.

Rumple just stared at him, mouth agape; the amount of activity going on behind his back was startling. Was he really that blind to know someone was coming on the grounds of the castle without his knowledge?

"What do you mean, you've spoken with her many times?" he asked.

"I saved her from a group of robbers on the road who were trying to have their way with her the night after you banished her from the castle." Rumple slumped back down in his seat, and cupped his face with his hands. His breath caught in his throat, fear was taking over again. If Flynn hadn't showed up she would have been defiled, and it would've been all his fault for turning her away.

"She's a strong woman, that one. Has great potential to be so much more," said Flynn looking over at Belle.

"Yeah," Rumple whispered, though he seemed distracted. A lot of information was running through his brain at an alarming rate. "I have a few questions."

"Of course."

"How do you know Hook? You spoke of him as if you knew him."

"As I said I've been watching you you're whole life. I know what he did to you. He dishonored this family, and stole Milah away. Both of them dishonored you. So, since I couldn't be here with you, I decided to bring honor back to this family, and make Hook's life a living hell… Which I'm proud to say I've been successful at."

Rumple chuckled a little. "You did that for me?"

"Yes. Everything I've done has been to either help or protect you. You're my brother, Rumple, and I love you and this family." Flynn twiddled his thumbs a bit, then continued. "I've also been taking care of Baelfire."

Rumple's gaze shot up. "What?! How?!"

"Bae has been in Neverland for the past 249 years. When I discovered that your father had him in his lost boys camp, I traveled to Neverland, where I've been keeping him out of as much trouble as possible, making his breakfast and dinner everyday."

"He's been in Neverland this whole time? Do you know how many years I've wasted trying to get to the land without magic when I could've used the Mad Hatter to get to Neverland?" Rumple was becoming enraged once again, and he moved closer to Flynn, who stood his ground.

"I tried to bring him back, brother, but he didn't want to see you….. I'm sorry."

That was it, the thing he feared most… his son didn't want to see him or have anything to do with him.

"You can't give up, you know. It's your duty as a father. Show him that you love him, show that you're willing to do anything to correct the mistake."

"What do you know of being a father?" Rumple asked in a low grizzly voice.

"Not much. I only know what not to do… You have more questions?" Flynn sat in seat a bit more relaxed, truth be told, he loved this, despite the mild hostility between them, he loved talking to his brother again.

"You said that if you came close to me, the elves would have me killed, so what's to stop them now?"

"Because I slaughtered every one of them about five years ago."

Rumple simply nodded his head. "The Queen wanted you that bad, she would take you away from a loving home? Why were you so important? It seemed to me you were just some random orphan."

Flynn paused; Rumple noticed his sea green eyes fill with the weight of his past and something truly dark and terrible haunt them as he collected his thoughts. Rumple watched him smirk and slouch in his chair.

"Well….. you're not exactly an orphan when you're the one true heir to the throne."

Rumple leaned in slightly, gazing at his brother, who was gazing back at him, waiting for some sort of reaction. Rumple couldn't believe it.

"You're the prince of your home world?"

"Well, the northern part….. It's a pretty big world."

"The Queen was your mother….. That's why she wanted you back," said Rumple.

Flynn nodded and stared into the fireplace, the orange glow making his eyes shine brighter.

"My father, the King, abandoned me here in the Enchanted Forest in the hopes that I would be killed. There was a prophecy a few months before I was born that I would kill my father and marry my mother. As ridiculous as it sounded, my father believed it as truth and took me away. My mother brought me back and hid me away with a blacksmith, Torren was his name, who took care of me knowing full well who I really was, but he raised me like I was his own son. When I found our home burned to the ground and Torren's charred body, I didn't know what to do, then I was taken by my mother again where she revealed to me my lineage, and my father was not to happy to see me. He had discovered I was back in the Elven realm and in hopes to kill me again, he torched Torren's shop, but I wasn't home. As revenge for ripping me away from two homes and his vile treatment of his people, I waged war against him, and I…" Flynn paused. Rumple just stared at him; he could tell it was a subject he didn't like to talk about. So much hurt and pain on his face; it was heartbreaking. "I lost many people under my leadership."

"Is that how you got those scars on your face?" Rumple asked, gesturing towards the scar over his eyes that crossed with the diagonal one across his face.

"One of them, yes. The other was from a panthrizon I encountered in the woods back home."

"Panthrizon?"

"Yes, it's a very large animal that only lives in the Elven realm. It's like a cross between a panther and a black bear."

Rumple nodded his understanding. Flynn studied him for a few more moments. He clenched his fist and jaw, then used the chair arms to hoist himself to his feet. He took out his pocket watch and glanced at it.

"Well, as much as I would love to chat. I must away."

"You're leaving? Now?" asked Rumple in disbelief that after showing himself for the first time in over 200 years, he's ready to say goodbye in 45 minutes.

"I have a meeting with the pirate lords. I'll have to explain why I killed Hook, who was another pirate lord." Rumple rose to his feet as well, standing over him with only an inch height difference.

"They're just pirates…. Do they really need an explanation for killing each other?"

"We may be just pirates, but we have codes and laws that keep us in line like any other kind of government. Killing a pirate lord is like killing a King. An assassination such as this has to be discussed and voted on by the council….. I can only imagine that this will be seen as unusual behavior from me. Other than the clothes I'm wearing, they call me the Gentlemen Pirate for a reason….. I'm reasonable."

"You became a pirate to get revenge on Hook?" Rumple asked.

"Yes, but that's not the only reason."

Flynn began to walk to towards the door. He put his hand on the handle, but stopped and turned to look at Belle one more time.

"She's a keeper, Rumple…. Don't mess this up."

Rumple nodded and Flynn flashed a small smile before opening the door.

"Flynn!" Rumple called, causing him to stop halfway through the doorway and turn back to look at him.

"Thank you for saving my wife."

"I would do anything for you and my sister," Flynn smiled warmly again and at the blink of an eye he was gone.

Rumple sighed and walked back over to the side of the bed where Belle was still sleeping. He plopped down in the chair and lazily rested his head in his hand, while watching his wife sleep soundly. Her soft snores exhausted even him, and he soon found himself closing his own eyes and drifting off to dream land with her.

Far away on the dream island of Neverland, at the very center of the island, a flash of light appeared along with a gust of wind that nearly uprooted the trees around it. When it all settled Flynn stood tall in a now darkened area. He looked around. His eyes settled on a rather tall lad with a mean look. Half his face was shrouded from the hood he was wearing.

"Felix… I thought you were late, but then you do like to brood in corners. You've always tried to be more a threat than just Pan's lap dog," said Flynn taunting him, as he tucked strands of his long black hair behind his pointy ears.

Felix just smirked. "How is your brother, Captain Rider? Still a scared little boy trapped in a man's body?"

"And yet, I know you fear him. The sound of his name leaves you quaking in the hooded cloak of yours. Pan cannot protect you forever, boy. Time to grow up. Speaking of which, where is he? I got a message that Bellatrice wants to see me."

"Yes, I volunteered to meet you and bring you to them. They are waiting for you on skull island."

"Lead the way then, lost boy."

Felix took his cutlass, and hacked at a large leaf in their way, and moved slowly through the path to the other side of the island. Flynn always stayed a few feet behind him; Felix was a dark, misguided, foolish boy, but he was loyal, and Flynn always admired that in any man or women. He had considered asking Felix to join his crew, but thought it best not to ask; that boy loved Neverland too much. They reached the sea quicker than Flynn anticipated, and both climbed into the boat that was waiting for them on the edge. Flynn took the lantern that was lying inside and used his magic to light it. He held the lantern high as Felix rowed. Flynn looked up in to the eyes of the giant skull made of rock. There was dancing light coming out of the eyes. They pulled up to the side, and Flynn hopped out; he nodded his thanks at Felix.

"Wait. Weapons," he said holding out his hand.

Flynn smirked, and unbuckled his belt that held his two rapiers and two pistols, then unfastened the belt around his chest carrying another two pistols and a hunting knife. Felix took them and neatly held them in his hand so that they would not get tangled up. Flynn made his way up the stairs. At the top of the stairs Pan stood waiting for him, flashing his trademark smirk, surrounded by hundreds of smaller skulls lining the walls. Flynn rolled his eyes, but kept marching up the stairs until he reached him.

"Finally," said Peter.

Flynn moved past pan and into the dimly lit room. Inside was a giant hourglass, Flynn wasn't sure what it was for, but he had known it to be there since the moment he moved to Neverland. In the center on a throne made of skulls sat Bellatrice, beautiful as ever, her now dark hair floated in the air from the thin cloud of darkness that surrounded her. She glared at him as a mother would glare at her misbehaved son. She sat up further in her seat, then looked over at Pan.

"You killed Captain Hook," she said in a low brooding voice.

"Yes," Flynn said simply, and he could easily guess why she was so upset that he was dead.

"We still had important business with him," Pan added.

"Yes, well he attacked Belle, your daughter and killed your unborn grandson…. Your shared unborn grandson, and my nephew. How do you both expect me to let that slide? He would have killed her if I hadn't shown up."

Bellatrice sat back in her chair; she stared absently at a spot on the floor as she thought. Flynn was getting aggravated; this shouldn't be anything to think about.

"We are aware of this and will address it later. We need Hook for our plans, so for now to keep the peace, you will leave Hook alive until our plans have come to fruition."

Flynn narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? Hook is already dead."

"Is he?" said a voice from behind him.

Flynn whirled around to see Hook standing in the corner looking up at him over his eyebrows with one raised and a satisfied smirk.

"How?" Flynn wanted answers and he wanted them now. He was furious, and all he could think of now was taking the nearest rock and bashing Hook's head until his brains littered the floor.

"We called upon Calypso. She answered our plea in exchange for a rare object in our possession, and she pumped life into Hook who was close enough to death, but still had a slither of life left in him.

"You two actually managed to convince Calypso to bring that mangy pirate back to life? What could you have possibly given her to do that?"

"Our business, " said Pan.

Flynn looked up at Bellatrice with pure anger and hatred in his eyes. "You would save the man that murdered your grandson? I thought I knew you. I would expect this from Pan, but….. not from you."

Flynn turned and walked over to Hook, who was still smirking at him. "Smirk while you can, Captain. I promise you that after all this is over, either me or Rumplestiltskin will end your miserable life." Flynn glared at him for a few more seconds, as he watched Hook's expression lighten. Flynn wanted Hook to fear him, he knew from their never-ending history together that Hook was truly a coward on the inside wearing the skin of a crass gentleman. He turned around and walked back across the room towards the stairs, passing the glaring looks from the three villains in the room.

"You aren't going to interfere, right?" asked Pan just before Flynn moved to descend the stairs.

"You'll get none from me, but the good Captain's days are numbered."

Flynn left them to conduct their business. He found his weapons at the bottom of the stairs, hanging on a pole, but Felix was nowhere to be found. He attached his belt again and moved to the very edge of the cave. He stared at his reflection in the water. So much was going on at once, he hadn't stopped to truly realize how much had changed since he last saw his brother during their childhood. His looks the most, the wars, the battles, everything. He ran his fingers gently over the scars on his face, the constant reminders of all that he had been through. He thought back to the day he was kidnapped.

289 years ago…

Rumple and Flynn ran happily through the damp forest, their equally messy hair flowing behind them; two eleven year-old boys lost in imagination on a woodland quest. Rumple leaped onto a high log perched in the middle of an open area. Stick in hand, serving as a sword, he pointed it at Flynn who looked up at him from the forest floor with a smirk.

"I found the treasure!" Rumple bellowed. "You'll never get it, pirate!"

"Arrrrrrr… Watch me try, matie!" said Flynn before leaping onto the log next to Rumple with his own stick held high.

They clashed, swinging their sticks at each other, no real form, but they were only boys. Their sticks crossed and crossed again, as they barely managed to keep their balance on the log, stopping occasionally to right themselves up after almost tumbling off, all the while laughing as they did so. Rumple jabbed his stick forward, and Flynn twirled around to avoid it while easily keeping his balance, but Rumple toppled off and on the leaf infested forest floor. Flynn laughed hysterically; a twig snapped and Rumple fell through a giant hole in the ground along with thousands of leaves. Flynn immediately leaped off the log and stared down into the hole with a panic stricken look on his face.

"RUMPLE! BROTHER!" he called, but it was stone silent. Flynn couldn't even hear his brother's whimpers. He didn't know how far he had fallen or if he was even still alive. He was only looking into a pit of never ending blackness. He knew what he had to do; Flynn calmed himself for a few moments then looked around at his surroundings. He spotted a withered old tree branch, barely hanging on, dry and stripped of its bark. He reached out to it; it ripped itself off the tree, coiled round in midair and fashioned itself into a rope. Flynn tied one end around a large boulder across the way, and the other end around his waist. He looked into the dark hole, then turned around and began to lower himself down.

Rumple lie unconscious at the very bottom in a large puddle; his damp hair matted to his face. He stirred and opened his eyes; head pounding and swimming, everything was blurry, the lights shimmering around him confused him. He slowly hoisted himself into a sitting position. He knocked his head around with the palm of his hand to stop the dizziness. As his vision began to clear, so did his surroundings; a little ray of sunlight shinned through a crack of a wall of collapsed rock, causing the water to shimmer off of it. It was dark mostly, but he could tell he was in an underground cavern. He looked beside him, and when he didn't see Flynn next to him, he realized that he was all alone.

"Flynn! Flynn!" he called desperately. Nothing but his own echoes bouncing off the walls could be heard. Rumple collapsed back into the puddle and curled up into a ball. His tears were hot and stung his cheeks like hey were made of fire. He touched his face and realized he had a large gash just below his right eye. He looked at the blood on his fingers, and wished he were back in his house with his mothers. He looked around frantically, he began heaving almost out of his skin; he placed his small hand on his chest to feel his heart thumping like hooves racing on a dirt road.

"Flynn….. I'm scared….." he whispered to himself. He laid down on the rocky surface and rolled over on his belly. He closed his eyes, knowing that he was going to die down here and no one was coming for him. The sound of water dripping from the rocks above echoed around the whole cavern. It was the only thing he could hear, as his mind slipped into nothingness.

"Rumple!" called a voice in the distance. Rumple opened his eyes; he heard it, but it was faint. "Rumple!" This time it was louder; Rumple listened again. "Rumple!" It was clear as ever, and Rumple knew immediately who it was.

"Flynn!" he called back.

"Hang on. I'm coming down!" Flynn yelled.

Rumple hoisted himself to his feet, but was instantly brought back down by a searing pain in his right leg. He collapsed to his knees, and toppled over to roll around over the rocks.

Out of the corner of his eye, Flynn dropped down with a rope around his waist.

"Rumple. Are you alright?" he asked kneeling down next to him.

"I think so. My leg…. It hurts."

Flynn examined his leg. "It's broken, but don't worry. I'll fix you up." Flynn placed both hands over his wounded leg, one on top of the other, Rumple focused on him, watching his hands glow a bright purple; he was always so fascinated by Flynn's magic even though the other people in the village were terrified of him because of it. There was a crackling followed by a sharp pain. Rumple yelped and clutched his leg, then Flynn drew back.

"There. That should do it. Sorry about the brief moment of pain," said Flynn, sitting back with is legs crossed.

"That was brief? It felt like an eternity. IS should have brought that vile of blood you gave me." Rumple tried his leg by twisting it around, there was no pain. He looked over at his brother. "I thought you wouldn't come." Flynn looked at him with caring eyes, and licked his thumb, then ran it across his cheek, healing the gash under his eye.

Flynn sighed, jumped to his knees, and grabbed Rumple's face with both hands. He drew his head back and head-butted him; not to hard, but it certainly wasn't gentle.

"Oww," said Rumple, as he rubbed his forehead. It was their customary brotherly form of expression. They usually did it after dodging whatever near catastrophe they came across, but it always managed to hurt Rumple more than it did Flynn. "We've got to find another way to express ourselves."

Flynn's wide grin turned serious very quickly. He reached his hand out to him.

"Give me your hand, Rumple." Rumple raised an eyebrow, but hesitantly took his hand. Flynn pulled him closer and squeezed his hand in his; their foreheads touched more gently this time. "Rumple, no matter what happens…. I'll always be here for you. I promise you I will never leave you. EVER….. Even if I'm not physically here with you, know that I'm always standing over your shoulder….. always… I will always be in your corner. When I'm there you should never feel scared. You should feel like what we are….. brothers that will take on the world and come out whole every time."

Back to the present….

Flynn smiled at his shimmering reflection in the water; he had kept his promise. All these years, Rumple was his priority. He was so close to the end; he couldn't turn back now. He had the same mission for 289 years, find a way to reunite with his brother, but now he had a new mission, reunite his brother with his son. Baelfire was only a world a way; things were falling into place, now Flynn just needed it to stay that way. He stood tall on the edge of the sea; he looked up at the clear night sky, the stars unusually bright, shimmering back at him; closing his eyes, he tightened his fist. He opened them again; only now, they were a solid bright blue, no whites in them, just a blue light seeping from them like tears. He was engulfed in a bright light that was the same shade of blue, then vanished in a flash with a loud BOOM that was like a thunderclap. The only thing remaining was the dark transmutation circle on the ground where he had stood.

Rumple sat in his chair by the fireplace; it had been three days since the chaos happened and he was still no closer to comprehending it all. He looked over at Belle, who had remained asleep the entire time. Her small frame heaved up and down in time with her breathing. Rumple focused hard on the switchblade he was twirling in his hands, the one his brother had forged for him when they were both small boys. He ran his thumb gently over the symbol on the hilt. The Elven symbol for brother, it had always meant so much to Flynn. The power of the symbol, the meaning of brotherhood; Rumple never understood it, though Flynn always told him that one day he would.

His conversation with Flynn still fresh in his mind, he was sorting out all the information he had learned; several lifetimes worth of knowledge had overwhelmed him when Flynn was here, but he was happy to finally come to terms with it. He poured a bottle of hard whiskey into a small cup and drank it down. It numbed him for an hour or so before he needed it again. Looking over at Belle, telling her was all he could think about. He didn't know how, he knew she would be devastated. She stirred, and quietly moaned in her sleep. Rumple put his cup down on the tray along with the switchblade and moved over to her bedside. He took her hand in his and gently squeezed while holding it close to his chest. Her eyes slowly opened, then fluttered, then looked around.

Belle's vision was blurry, she could only make out colors, everything was an absolute mess. She turned her head; she could feel the warmth around her hand, as she looked over at a blurry mess of colors surrounded by a yellowish white light.

"Belle. Belle," said Rumple over and over.

Belle recognized the voice she was hearing; she was so confused, everything was upside down to her right now, but it was nice to hear a familiar voice beside her. She felt safe suddenly, like a guardian angel was sitting next to her instead of a man. The blotches of color she was seeing began to take shape. Everything began to clear to the point where she was now looking into Rumple's warm yet sad eyes. She was puzzled by his facial expression, such a great pain there. She reached her hand over and cupped his cheek; he immediately nuzzled into her hand and held it there, her palm getting what from the tears falling freely from his eyes. She closed her eyes while trying to remember the events that put her once again in bed with no memory. It came back to her in flashes, the pirate in the library, falling down the grand staircase, Flynn's face looking down at her, moving as if he were carrying her. Her horrified expression said it all; she looked down at her stomach, she ripped back the covers and saw that her belly was now flat. Her whole body felt like it was fading away into nothing, she felt nothing; she was already dead.

"Your fall caused a miscarriage…. Potts came and removed the baby. I'm so sorry, my love," said Rumple.

Rumple grabbed her hand, but Belle pulled away. She turned to face the opposite wall and began to sob, her shoulders shaking from the pain she was feeling in her very soul. She felt like a piece of her was dead. Her child, their child, was gone and should would never get to see him or her. She would never teach her child to walk, read from the book her own mother have given her, teach them to say their first words. It will never happen and all because she wanted to be a hero. She blamed herself just as fast as the second Rumple had told her.

"Do you know what our baby was?" she whispered, still facing the opposite wall.

"Was?" Rumple was confused.

"Boy or Girl? Was our baby a boy or girl?" asked Belle a bit more sternly.

"Flynn told me it was a boy."

Belle paused, he had met Flynn, a conversation she would have liked to be present for, but put a side for now. She was too depressed to ask about it.

"Rohan," she whispered.

"What?" Rumple asked.

"That was the name I had chosen if it were a boy." Rumple wiped away the tears that he now couldn't control; he was in too much pain. Giving their dead son a name made the pain worse, too much to handle. "I want a memorial out in the garden. Plant my mother's favorite flowers around it. He was our son, and I want him to be honored," said Belle.

"Yes. I will," Rumple said quietly before standing up. He stared a Belle, not really knowing what else to do.

"I want to be alone now," said Belle. Rumple bowed to her and left. Belle instantly collapsed under the weight of her anguish and sobbed into the fur blankets while gently rubbing her belly, hoping that this was all a terrible nightmare and she'd wake up to a full stomach again, but she knew it was a far shot away from reality. She was not going to be a mother, and it was all her fault.

"I'm sorry, son. I'm so sorry, my baby boy," she whispered into the bed covers through her tears.


	13. Falling Into Darkness

Belle's head was swimming; her eyes still closed, she did not want to open them. She never wanted to open them again. Opening her eyes would reveal the cruel reality she was living in; the reality where her son was now dead, the one she had carried for six months so lovingly in her womb, the very same one she would never lay eyes on, all because she wanted to be a hero. She hated the idea of being a hero now, heroics get people killed, innocent people, like her boy. She stared at the blackness in her own head; she felt that it was fitting; she was swimming in darkness even when her eyes were open, darkness and despair unlike any other. She would dream about him sometimes, Rohan, a little boy with long brown hair like his father's and eyes so blue like hers, so small, looking up at her and grinning from ear to ear. It made her happy for an instant, but then she would wake up, and call out to her little boy, and realize that it was only a dream, and then reality would set in again. Rumple would enter sometimes to talk to her, but he never stayed for long; Belle would never say anything, and with Rumple also grieving, he couldn't face her pain, it just brought more pain on himself.

He slept in his lab, and buried himself in his work instead. People would come and go; the good Prince Charming came a few times, asking Rumple to help out his conflicted wife again and again. Rumple was in no mood to speak with him for worry of his own wife's grief, but he dared not show it to the Prince. Instead, he portrayed his grief in the form of sheer nastiness; something the Prince shrugged it off as being the norm. The mask Rumple wore was made of iron, always in tact. Belle, however, had shut the world out. She didn't like to leave the room, she didn't eat, she only got up to use the lavatory. Rumple knew by the look in her eyes, she couldn't stand the sight of him, and that pained him most of all, because he felt some measure of guilt for not being there as well. If he wasn't so focused on making sure the destiny in place came to pass, Hook wouldn't have touched her, but now the darkness they were falling into was all that there was. Hook was dead, justice was served, but Flynn was right in knowing that his death wasn't going to fill the hole in his heart, that feeling of emptiness. He wanted his son, both of his sons. Rumple lie on the daybed in his lab, his hands folded across his stomach and his eyes squeezed shut, he suddenly felt a presence around him. He slowly opened them to see Flynn standing above him his face inches from his, grinning from ear to ear.

"Rise and shine, little brother," he said cheerfully.

"I've always told you to stop calling me that, we're the same exact age," said Rumple as he heaved himself out of bed.

He reached down a picked up a bottle of whiskey only half full. He poured some into a cup and gulped it down. It was the first time since his arrival that he truly looked at his brother, and he looked absolutely dreadful. His blood shot eyes and untidy hair said as much. Flynn looked around the room; it was a mess. Papers and scrolls littered across the desk, along with dirty cauldrons and beakers.

"Did you put the kettle on?" asked Flynn.

"Belle usually brings the tea up…..but she's uh… well you know," said Rumple.

"Not to worry. You can conjure one up….. easy," said Flynn, as he clasped his hands together and smirked at him. Rumple knew this was an invitation for Flynn to see his skills first hand, though Rumple found it strange he would ask him to do something as trivial as conjuring up tea and biscuits.

Rumple snapped his fingers and a tea tray appeared on the table in front of them. Flynn helped himself and poured a cup, then poured one for Rumple.

"Thank you," he muttered.

"So… Belle isn't taking things well I imagine. Has she left her room?" asked Flynn.

"No….. and each time I try to comfort her, she pushes me further away. I just want her happiness again… before Rohan."

"Rohan?"

"That's the name we gave to our son."

"Good to know… Rohan. A strong name….. May I sit?" he asked gesturing to the empty chair next to him.

"Of course," said Rumple.

They both sat down, sipping on their tee, while seemingly enjoying the silence. Flynn stared mindlessly out the window.

"You are unhappy, brother. I see it as clearly as the skin on your bones. And it pains me," said Flynn. He didn't turn to look at him; his gaze was still fixed on something outside.

"I'm more concerned about Belle right now. She's in a very bad way, Flynn."

He finally turned to look at him, his aqua green eyes shimmering in the sunlight. He put his cup of tea down and sat back in his seat, slouching a bit and playing with his beard.

"I know," he whispered, "It looks liked she made it out to the grounds."

"What?" Rumple leaped from his seat and looked through the window down at Belle, who was traipsing through the garden. He smiled and turned to leave the room, but Flynn reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Wait. Let me talk to her first," he said before finishing his tea and hoisting himself up. He smiled and clapped Rumple on his shoulder. Rumple watched him leave with one eyebrow raised, curious of what he had in mind. He looked out at Belle again, who was now kneeling in the bed of flowers, picking at them and studying them, as if she were trying to set them on fire with her eyes.

Down on the grounds, Belle toyed with the flowers beneath her. She didn't know why she was out in the gardens. She didn't know what these beautiful flowers could do to change her mood. Her thoughts were only of Rohan. She couldn't shake them. She plucked another flower from its stem and gazed at the multicolored petals as they blew with the breeze. She suddenly felt an uneasiness about her, like someone was watching her. She whipped herself around to see Flynn standing there with his hands held up in surrender and a nervous smile on his face.

"Whoa, lasse. It's just me," he said.

Belle hardly acknowledged him; she knew why he was here, but she did not want to talk to anyone. She said nothing, as she watched him sit down next to her. He yawned and stretched wildly before falling back into the bed of flowers with his arms tucked behind his head. She looked over at him; she couldn't help but smile at the genuinely serine look on his face. It only made her envious of his state opposed to the state of mind she was in.

"It's not your fault."

Belle whipped around to look at him again. She wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. He didn't even open his eyes; instead he just lay there smiling while bits of fluff blowing from the dandelions next to him tickled his nose.

"What did you say?"

"I said it's not your fault. Losing Rohan wasn't you. It was Hook."

Belle didn't say anything. She didn't know if she could bring herself to admit her faults out loud. She picked up a dandelion and blew it gently, watching the florets dance in the wind. Though she found it odd that the wind held the florets in front of her much, longer than it should have, but she simply dismissed it as being her imagination. Several moments went by before she decided that she had to talk to someone, and she certainly wasn't ready to talk to Rumple, so Flynn was the next best thing, not that Flynn could make her feel better. She knew she had fallen far into darkness now, climbing back into the light was near impossible. She felt numb all over; she no longer cared about anything except her own sadness.

I decided to confront Hook, when I should have run. I put my child at risk. I killed him because of my own naiveté.-"

"STOP!" said Flynn firmly, as he sat up straight. "Enough, Belle. Do you honestly think your son would want you to drown in this ocean of pain? You lost your child and nothing will ever take that pain away, but you still have a husband who is alive and well. Do you think he is not suffering with you? Yet you push him away. I have lost a lot of people I cared deeply for in my lifetime, but nothing compares to the loss of a child. I understand the pain, but for Rohan's sake. Don't dwell in it…."

Belle turned away, knowing Flynn spoke the truth. She brushed off a few shreds of grass from her dress. A gust of wind blew her hair in front of her face; in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to hold Rohan in her arms and apologize to him, to see what he could have looked like. Would he look like Rumple? Would he have his eyes and her hair? She felt the tears sting her eyes. She closed them tight; the y fell freely down her cheeks. She took her finger and brushed them away. She opened her eyes again, but found herself in some kind of dark abyss. She wasn't on the grounds anymore. She looked down; her knees felt like they were sitting on air. She stood up, slightly wobbling, but when she made it to her feet she felt a hard surface under her. She looked down at her feet, she was standing on nothing. She could see her feet as clear as her own hand in front of her, but she seemed to be standing in thin air. She looked around frantically for any sign of a friend.

"Flynn?! Flynn?!" she called out.

Nothing; only eerie silenced the echoes of Flynn's name. Belle was getting more and more frightened as she soon realized that she was all alone in a dark abyss.

"Mother?" said a small voice from behind her.

She whipped around to see a small boy standing in front of her. He was a handsome little thing; chocolate brown eyes, curly brown hair, and fair skin. He just stood there staring at her. Belle was beginning to get uncomfortable.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice shaking.

The boy didn't answer, he didn't even blink, he just continued to stare. It was in that moment that Belle realized what the boy had said that caused her to turn around. "Mother?…. Rohan?"

He smiled at her, and Belle melted. His smile was so beautiful; it was like looking at the purest light in all the universe.

"This can only be a dream… or…. Has my grief finally put an end to my life?" She wiped away a tear wit her finger.

"You are very much alive, mother," said Rohan, only his voice was different, and it caught Belle off guard. Belle's head snapped to look at him. He was still standing in the same exact spot, only he was slightly older now, Belle judged it to be in his early teenage years. He lost his smile, as he stared directly into her eyes. Those same eyes Rumple stared at her with.

"You must stop blaming yourself, Mother."

"Oh, son…how is this possible?"

"I'm using magic to commune with you. It's technically against the rules, but it is a price I am willing to pay."

Belle moved closer to him; he was taller than her now, and his intense gaze made her feel almost silly and insignificant, as if she were unworthy to stand in his presence.

"You are able to use magic?" asked Belle, somewhat disappointed that her son was cursed with magical abilities. She knew, deep down, not all magic was evil, but her experience with magic had been so negative that she would much rather her son not deal with the same burdens as his father.

"Yes…. I inherited my power from Papa, though he does not know it yet. His power is so vast that he didn't even notice the slightest dip in energy supply that escaped him when I was conceived," he explained.

Belle snickered a little, when the thought of another reason why Rumple hadn't noticed a dip in his power that night crossed her mind. Most men don't notice small things when they're making love.

"Mother?"

Belle snapped out of it, and smiled at him. She blinked, and Rohan now stood before her as a grown man in navy blue robes, but he did not look like Rumple as she thought he would. No, instead he was the spitting image of her father, though much shorter, with Rumple's eyes and her hair that cascaded down around his shoulders, framing his bearded face. Belle couldn't help herself, she knew in her heart he was simulating stages of his growth so that she could know what he would've looked like, had he lived to see it. She wrapped her arms around him. She wasn't sure if he was really there or if she could feel him, but in that moment she got her answer She squeezed tighter around the mass that was her dead son. He felt as real as any living human being, which made it more painful. He just stood there at first, letting his mother nestle into him, then he slowly wrapped his arms around her smaller frame and buried his face in her hair.

"Just promise me one thing, Mother….."

Belle looked up at him. "Of course," she said with a sniff, as she wiped away her tears.

"Be happy. Move on with Papa. Stop blaming yourself for my murder. It wasn't your fault; it was never your fault. Don't dwell on my death. Live your life. He needs you a lot more than I do."

Belle couldn't stop the tears that began to flow. She wanted to mope around, she wanted to remain in the darkness, but with her son's simple words, she finally felt at peace. Rohan pulled her close, and held her as she sobbed into his chest.

"Son….. will I ever see you again?" asked Belle, her voice shaking.

"When it is your time… and I'll be waiting… I love you, Mother."

Belle held him tighter; Belle was certain she might be suffocating him, but she couldn't help it, she never wanted to let go.

"I love you too," she whispered, as her tears stained his robe.

He pulled her off of him, and looked deep into her eyes. Belle couldn't help but study his face as hard as she could; she wanted to remember every detail. It was in that moment that she saw him holding his own tears back, as his eyes glistened in he starlight. He looked away to hide them, and Belle placed a gentle hand on his arm in reassurance. He smiled at her again, and reached down wiped away her tears with his thumb; he kissed the top of her head. He stepped back, allowing his hand to trail down her arm and grasp hers. He held it tightly, then leaned down to kiss it. She slowly looked up at him and flashed him a weak smile, which he returned with difficulty; it was obvious to her that he didn't want to leave either.

"Goodbye, Rohan….."

"Goodbye, Mother."

Rohan turned and walked away into the darkness. Belle watched him the whole way, not wanting to take her eyes off of him for even a second. He stopped suddenly and turned to look at her again.

"Oh….. a word of advise, mother… Nothing is as it seems."

And with that, he vanished into the dark abyss, leaving Belle confused and wondering what he meant. Was she in the dark about something? Suddenly, the stars began to fade, and she felt a rush of wind throw her back, for what seemed like miles. Millions of images, none she could make out, were a blur as she flew through the darkness. She closed her eyes. She opened them once more, and found herself back in the garden, kneeling in the bed of flowers.

"Belle?"

Belle whipped her head around to see Flynn siting exactly where he was, hunched over with his hand resting on the large pouch attached to his belt. Belle quickly thought of something to say to reassure him.

"Flynn, I'm sorry, I…."

"Are you alright? You went dark on me there."

"I'm fine…." She tried, but she could not hold back her excitement. "I saw him, Flynn."

"Who?"

"Rohan…. He spoke to me…. Please…. Don't think I'm crazy."

Flynn studied her; for Belle, it was scary not being bale to tell what he was thinking. She was sure that he didn't believe her.

"He was able to commune with you?" he asked finally.

"Yes," said Belle.

"That is some very advanced magic he was using. Dark magic to be more precise. It is unheard of that and unborn child can master magic in such a short amount of time."

Belle wasn't sure what to think of it, but she didn't care about how he was able to do it, so much as what he said to her. She watched him pull at his beard in deep thought.

"Excuse me," he said with a polite bow. "I shall return in a few days…. It is good to see you at peace, Belle. Many of us were beyond worried for your health."

Belle blushed and looked away. She returned his smile, and he vanished with a burst of light and loud snap followed by a whoosh. She knew shat she had to do now, make up with Rumple. She ran inside.

"Rumple! Rumple!" she called, but there was no answer. "Rumple?!" she called again, and still silent as a still pond. Figuring, that he might be in his lab, and had not heard her, she ran up the stairs, not caring about the slight pain in her abdomen from the incident. "Rumple, I need to talk to…" the room was empty. Nothing but books and illuminated green substance in the beakers remained. She spotted a folded letter on the table. As she moved closer, she could make out the writing on the front of the letter, which read her name. She picked it up and fumbled with it in her hands. She tore the waxed seal away and opened the letter; her eyes flew across the page.

"Dear Belle,

I didn't want to disturb you as you requested these past few days, but should you come looking for me and find this letter, I have gone away on business and won't be back until midnight. I have prepared dinner for you on the furnace in the kitchen. Don't wait up for me, you need to get your rest.

Love Always,

R"

Belle gently placed the letter down. She felt guilty for the way she had been treating him. She was so wrapped up in herself that she hadn't even thought about the fact that Rohan was his son as well. Had he been holding back his own grief for her? Even when she didn't even want to lay eyes on him, he was still taking care of her from the shadows. She left the lab and ventured down to the kitchen. Just as Rumple had said, a silver plate sat on a trey over a low burning furnace; the flames just high enough to keep the dinner warm. The smell was wonderful; she removed the cover and gazed at the delicious looking roast beef and carrots. She poured herself a glass of wine and placed her plate on the table in the dining room. She needed the wine now, especially knowing she could drink it again. She plopped down in her seat and began to cut her food. It was then that she realized she hadn't eaten anything since Rohan's death, maybe a few scraps of bread, but not much more, and with each bite of the roast beef, she became more and more desperate for more. She gulped down the wine, then poured herself another full glass. She was slowly beginning to feel like her old self again, though not even these simple pleasures could fill the whole left in her heart by Rohan's death.

Rumple crouched down, balancing himself on the very top of the stone column overlooking the wedding reception in honor of Cinderella and Prince Thomas. He looked the part of the beast again, his greenish gold skin shimmered in the moonlight; his dark green eyes as cold blooded as he felt in this skin. Rumple always hated these affairs; too many stuck up royals looking down on him as if he were the scum of the earth, but this wasn't about the party. This was the start of everything. The deal he would make tonight would put him in perfect position for the Dark Curse Regina would cast very soon. He stood on his toes and straightened the cravat on his white and gold outfit. If he was going to go to this sickening event, he would at least look nice. He snapped his fingers and vanished in a cloud of his usual purple smoke, then dematerialized back on the ground in the on looking crowd. He wasn't surprised, but rather annoyed, to see Snow White and Prince Charming dancing among the other royals there. He rolled his eyes, as he watched Snow pull Cinderella into some sort of sway, as they talked. He couldn't make out what they were saying, nor did he care. It was most likely some lovey dovey non sense he could do without. He moved closer now that her new husband seemed distracted in a conversation with Charming. He caught the tail end of her conversation with Snow, and as they twirled away from each other, he could here Snow whisper, "We're proud of you." Rumple saw this as his chance; Snow spun Cinderella around, causing her to twirl directly into Rumple, who stood their smiling his dirty smile with his arm raised, ready to dance.

"I'm proud of you too," he said with a big grin.

She was surprised to see him to say the least. They moved closer, and began to dance along to the music.

"You? What are you doing here?" asked Cinderella, disgusted by the mere presence of him. It was something he loathed in mortal men. They smile as they beg for his help, but as soon as he comes to collect his debt they are disgusted by the sight of him. It was what he had come to expect in the hypocrisy of heroes.

"I just came to make sure you were happy with your end of the bargain. You know… true love, riches, happy endings, so on and so forth. Did you get everything you desire?" he asked, as he pulled her closer.

"Yes. Yes. Now what do you want? What's your price? More jewels? The ring?"

"Questions. Questions drip from the tongue. No, dear, keep your boodles. What I want is something you don't yet possess, but something I know is coming." Cinderella stepped away and looked at him with a furrowed brow. He moved closer until he was inches from her face, and through gritted teeth whispered, "Your first born." He spun her around and walked off into the crowd. Pleased with himself, he decided to return home.

Rumple returned home a little after midnight. He wasn't surprised that Belle was not there to greet him. He expected her to be asleep in the library or, at least, reading a book. He placed his coat on the rack next to the door and went upstairs to his bed chambers. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror; he had turned back into his human form. One of these days he was going to have to find out the ins and outs of this new feature. The door creaked open; Rumple nearly jumped out of his skin. Belle was standing there in front of the bed, fully nude. The fireplace behind her roared with light that illuminated her in all the right places. She was stunning, the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on, but he didn't understand what was going on. When he left, she didn't want to even speak to him, now she was ready to make love? Rumple suspected, she might have had too much wine, in which case he would have to respectfully decline her offer, but when she spoke, she showed no signs of drunkenness.

"Belle….I-"

"I saw you return…. Out the window," she said.

"Well, what's the occasion for this erotic display of beauty?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

Belle didn't say anything; she only looked at him. Rumple began to feel uncomfortable in the silence. She took one step towards him; her feet as light as feather against the wood floor. Rumple began to back away, but then he realized that there was no reason to. This was his wife after all. Belle stopped until she was inches away from him. She ran her hands gently over his shoulders and arms, then reached up and kissed him; not too hard, not too soft. She pulled away ever so slightly, then lingered a bit. Rumple felt as if fireworks had gone off in his mouth, and he wanted more. He leaned in closer, but she playfully pulled away. She took his hand, and he followed her towards the bed.

She didn't say anything, only began to unbuckle his belt, slowly taking off bits of clothing, and he didn't want to stop her, though he suspected she wasn't in her right mind. She undressed him until he he was completely naked before her. Her hands glided down his chest, over his defined muscles, and Rumple shivered slightly at her touch. Her hand traveled further down, and Rumple grabbed it; she looked up at him as if she had just woken up from a trance.

"Belle…. I can't…. Not when you're like this," he whispered, though it took all his strength to resist her.

She grasped his face firmly with both hands. "I'm fine….. I'm… at peace. I need this… I need you."

Rumple looked at her, puzzled, at her current state. He didn't know how she came to find peace since he had last seen her earlier that day, nor did he have time to think about it before Belle pulled him in for another passionate kiss, only this time, he did not try to fight it; he was too feverish and filed with lust.

"I want you inside me," she whispered between heavy kisses.

He picked her up, not breaking the kiss, as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Grasping her firmly, he crawled onto the bed and nestled under the sheets. She could feel his erection against her, as she clawed at his back. Rumple broke the kiss to take a gasp of air; Belle smiled, he didn't know why she was smiling, but it was the first smile he had seen in days. He leaned down and kissed the top of her forehead; she looked into his deep brown eyes, as he pushed strands of her brown hair out of her face. Laughing, she tumbled over until she was on top of him, striding him. She reached behind her and took his erection in her hand. Rumple closed his eyes, moaned slightly, and threw his head back into the pillows. He hissed, as she lowered herself onto him, and began to rock her hips back and forth, grinding herself on his cock. His breath caught in his throat; Belle's hands pressed hard against his chest. She could feel his heart thump in his chest. Their eyes locked for a moment, and they once again felt like they were in their own world, like nothing else existed, not even the walls that surrounded them or the bed that supported them. Rumple reached up and touched her chest; he ran his fingers slowly down the center, only grazing her breasts, as he went. Belle shivered and threw her head back. She moved her hips faster, ferociously moaning and roughly grabbing her own hair, as the tingling in her groin erupted throughout her entire body. She wanted him more than she ever wanted him before; Rumple gasped for breath; the pleasure he was feeling now was unlike any other. Nothing else existed for him; she was his work out. His very soul melted in her heated embrace. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her back, pressing his face into her bosom, and allowing her to tangle her fingers in his hair. Hips still moving, she pulled his head away from her by his hair, and leaned down to kiss him passionately, their tongues desperate to collide, their lips massaging each other. She screamed and held him tightly against her, as they reached their orgasms together. Belle could feel him splash inside her. They both collapsed on the bed together, smiling and breathing heavily. Rumple chuckled, and Belle looked up at him with a wide smile. She rolled over on top of him, so that her head rested on his heaving chest and their legs entwined. She kissed and began to slowly caress his chest, all the while, listening to his decreasing heart beat. Rumple wrapped his arms around her once more and held her tightly.

"Belle… Can I ask-"

"Ssssshhhhhhh," she said, as she gently ran her hand across his chest and along his upper arm. "Go to sleep, Rumple."

Rumple smirked and held her even tighter. He stared at the embroidery in the ceiling, thinking about all the events that had transpired in the past few days; events that could last a year. Neither of them had gotten any sleep since Rohan's death, and Rumple figured that was why Belle wanted him to sleep. She knew he had been waiting up with her every night since then. The love he had for her sky rocketed into the stars. He caressed her hair; she let out a small noise that sounded, suspiciously, like purring. He raised his head off the pillow; she was fast asleep. It wasn't long before Rumple followed by example and both were out like candle lights.

8 months later…..

Belle stood on top of the later in her library, searching for a decent book to read. She was beginning to grow board in the castle, with Rumple always locked in his lab, working, nowadays. Her fingers caressed the leather bindings of the row of books on the shelf above her. Now that she was feeling much better, and had moved on with her life, it was time for her to return to her initial task of finding a way to permanently remove his curse. Flynn would come by every now and again to cheer her up. He had an uncommonly ability to sense whenever she was suffering inner turmoil. She loved him for that; she believed she did truly love him, like a sister would love her brother. She reached for a brown leather book; she eagerly flipped through the pages, hoping to find something she didn't already know about the Dark One curse. The book was written in elvish; she wasn't an expert, and she didn't know everything, only a few words, but Flynn was helping her. They would have a lesson together every month, but she was not learning fast enough, it seemed. Each word she looked at looked like a jumbled mess. She closed the book in frustration and set the book on the table with the others.

Over in Rumple's lab, Flynn dropped in for a visit. He playfully grabbed an apple out of the assorted fruit bowl on the table in the corner. He tossed it up in the air a few times and balanced it on his arm, letting it roll of, then catching it in midair. It was a circus like display, and Rumple was in no mood with the day of the curse fast approaching, he was putting his final plans in order.

"Is there something, I can help you with, Flynn?" asked Rumple, looking up at him over his furrowed brow.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," he said, taking a bite out of the apple. "I know your plans are coming to a head…. Finally. And I couldn't be happier for you, but I wanted to offer you something…. Something you can receive when you are ready."

Flynn was being more cryptic than usual, and Rumple was growing impatient.

"Alright… What is it?" asked Rumple.

"Tell me….. Have you ever heard of the masters of magic?"

"The masters of magic? Can't say that I have."

"Yes, I thought as much," said Flynn, tossing the apple core out of the open window above him.

"Who are they? Their title suggests a ocean of arrogance on their part."

"The masters of magic are a secret society made up of Enchanters, who have overcome or mastered the hold magic had on them."

"What hold?" asked Rumple. This was the first time he knew of any hold magic had on his kind, and he had been using it for 250 years.

"The hold is an addiction, Brother. That hold is on you now. The hold keeps you weak…. Alienates your loved ones. You want that to stop, no?"

Realization hit Rumple like a bucking bronco. This is hold is exactly what pushed Bae away; his need for power. He had been so blind all these years; he thought there was no going back. Sure, he loved Belle with all that he was, but he no longer thought himself with the Dark Curse still raging inside him. He thought he had been in control of the curse the whole time, but the curse had control of him. He was a slave to magic.

"Brother?"

Rumple didn't realize it had been a long time since he had said anything. He was lost in his own self loathing and embarrassment.

"How do I become a master of magic?"

"You must be ready to sacrifice a lot," said Flynn.

"Belle?" Rumple was worried it might get that far. If that were the case, he would suffer several lifetimes before he ever gave up Belle.

"No, of course not, I could never ask you to do that…. But, you'll see when you are ready to start the training. Think about it. I'll be waiting."

Flynn winked at him, and flashed him his trademark sly smile. He climbed up the wall and jumped out the window. Rumple took the ladder and climbed up to look down after him, but he was gone. He chuckled at his brother's theatrics, as he descended. He pulled out his pocket watch; it was time. He had received a letter from Cinderella asking to meet. He wasn't surprised by her letter; he had foreseen what was about to happen, and it was her choice. She was only making it worse for herself and her handsome husband. He slowly made his way down the grand staircase, letting his fingertips drag against the smooth marble railing. He needed to touch his home, to feel it before he left. This could be the last time he would ever see it, though he desperately hoped it wouldn't be. He stopped when he heard Belle humming softly as she dusted some of his prizes in the trophy room. He swallowed hard, knowing the hardest part was saying goodbye to Belle. He would not see her again for 28 years, but the sacrifice was necessary to get to Bae; this was the only way. He made sure to make enough noise in his approach to not startle her. Belle spun around, the hems of her drees twirling beneath her, and smiled at him.

"I figured we could have rabbit tonight. I bought a pair when I went to the market earlier," she said happily, but his response was much less than enthusiastic. "Is something wrong, my love?" she asked, touching his face.

"I'm fine," he said, grabbing her hand and placing it back at her side. "I'm going out to conduct some business. Won't be back until much later."

"Umm….. OK. Fine. I'll keep the kettle on," she said.

Rumple felt a twinge of guilt. She was visibly disappointed that she wasn't going to be spending the day with him. He kissed the top of her head, then leaned down a kissed her passionately on the lips. It would be the last time he would have a chance to feel the magic they shared; through the power of their kiss. He stopped, but lingered there a few more minutes. He gently placed both hands around her neck and lightly massaged the underside of her jaw with his thumbs. He pulled back and smiled at her. Her eyes were still closed, and her lips were still puckered slightly as if she were waiting, wanting him to kiss her again.

"I love you, " he whispered.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"I love you too," said Belle, as she gazed into his brown eyes.

Rumple opened his mouth to say more, but hesitated; he wasn't sure what to say, he was too lost in the moment. He didn't even know what he wanted to say, he just felt the need to say something, but the butterflies in his stomach wouldn't let him.

"I'll see you soon," he lied. She didn't need to know; there was no point in telling her now. The dark curse would be cast in three days, and he didn't want Belle to spend those last few days hating him.

Belle nodded, and Rumple vanished in his usual cloud of purple smoke.

Rumple arrived in the royal gardens of Cinderella's castle. He looked like the beast again; he flexed his long green fingers. She was waiting for him alone; her round stomach clearly visible under her robes. She looked around with that same look of fear in her eyes that she always had. Rumple took out a flask from his coat pocket and took a swig. He hoped that warm liquid slightly burning his throat would numb him enough to give him the strength to do what he was about to do. After all, he was perusing the end result, Baelfire. Rumple stepped out in clear view; it was an understatement to say that he had startled her.

"Well, well, well….. you're starting to show," said Rumple, purposefully being clever. Cinderella moving closer, but cautiously; she was afraid of him and rightfully so. "A little bird told me you wanted to speak," Rumple added.

"I want to alter the bargain," she said in a shaky voice.

Rumple chuckled at her bravery of even suggesting it. "That's not what I do. You either pay what you owe or suffer the consequences….. It's that simple, Dearie."

"Oh you'll want to change this one. I'm giving you a better deal," she said firmly.

Rumple could sense the confidence growing in her voice. Rumple took another sip from his flask. It was nearly empty, as he swished the warm brandy around in his mouth.

"Is that so?" Rumple knew this was nothing more than a trap, but it he still found it interesting that they would try.

"I'm having twins," she said.

Rumple tossed the empty flask over his shoulder flask and stared at her as if he were some kind of vulture.

"Really? Let's have a look," he said as he trotted over to her and put his hands on her belly, and in that moment he knew she was lying. He only felt one presence growing in side her, but that was why he was hear; to get caught. He decided to play along, and let out an excited gasp. "And you want to what? Give up both?" Cinderella looked down in shame a nodded her head. This just added fuel to Rumple's excitement. "Why is that, I wonder?"

Cinderella began to pace around him, as he looked on. "My husband is having a hard time. I've warned him time and time again, but he won't listen to reason… Our kingdom is poor, we're losing money, our crops are dying. We can't support ourselves anymore."

"And you would trade your other child for…. Comfort?"

"We can always have more children, but I can't make crops grow where the soil is dead," she said. Rumple looked away, now it wasn't as exciting anymore; he was getting offended by her obvious assumption that he possessed enough stupidity to fall for something like this. The biggest clue was her sudden lack of interest in her unborn child's well being. She can't pull one over on him while being so out of character. "In exchange for our other child, you will see to it that our land is once again fertile," she said unraveling a new contract and showing it to him. An even bigger insult, using one of his own tactics. The only person who ever came close to doing that was Cora and she had much more spunk and intelligence than this hag. "I think it's more than fair-"

"YES!" he yelled loud enough to make her jump. "Yes, yes….. yes. If what you say is true," said Rumple, kneeling down to examine the contract. It was well written, almost as good as the ones he writes.

"It is true….. and all you have to do is sign on the dotted line," she said pulling out a blood red quill.

"What a lovely quill! Wherever did you get it?" he asked, as he snatched it out of her hand.

She looked down nervously, then quickly composed herself. "It's from our castle."

"You know, the only way to stop me is the through magic," he said, as moved closer, gritting his teeth at her in a fierce snarl.

Cinderella did her best to compose herself, despite her obvious fear of him. "I'm not trying to stop you." A terrible lie, and Rumple knew better, despite knowing well in advance how this night would end, he would have figured it out anyway based her own body language.

"Of course you're not," he said in a sarcastic tone. "As we know… All magic comes with a price." He flashed his usual gesture when he said. He felt like that was his catch phrase and yet so few barely ever listened. He wasn't even sure why he was bothering to repeat it now. "If you were to use it to say… imprison me, then you're debt to me would only grow. I'm sure you don't want that… do you?" he asked as he brushed the feather end of the quill against her chin. He wanted to let her know that he was still control no matter what happened to him; magic was on his side.

She quickly pulled away. She was disgusted by him, but he didn't care, she was merely a catalyst to getting to his son. At least, he told himself he didn't care. "Just sign the contract please," she said in a harsh tone.

"Are you sure you're happy with this new arrangement?" to be fair, he wanted to ask her one more time. She did not answer, but only held up the contract for him to sign. Rumple let out a nervous laugh, and took the contract.

"Very well, dearie. You've made your choice. So it shall be," he said as he signed on the bottom line. He tapped the quill on the parchment; ad was surrounded by a bright light. He stood there as stiff as cardboard. Squid ink; magical ink that could trap any creature. He knew they must've obtained it from the Blue Fairy, the conniving bitch.

"Thomas!" she cried, and two horse carriages pulled up beside them; one appeared to be a giant cage.

"No one breaks deals with me, dearie. No one. I assure you, Cinderella, no matter where you are, no matter what land you find yourself in, I promise you…. I will have your baby."

Charming and Snow White's dwarf friend came bursting from the carriage along with Prince Thomas, Cinderella's husband.

"Ella, are you alright?" asked Thomas, as she ran into his arms.

"Yes, I'm fine. He won't be though," she said smugly as she glared at Rumple.

Rumple did nothing, but stand there and smirk; he could do nothing else, but he found the idea of these morons actually thinking that they had won amusing.

"No, he won't. We're going to put you away Dark One, and a sense of relief will wash over these people like a fresh water stream."

"Such harsh words, Prince Charming. After all I've done for you and your true love… you would take me away from mine."

This startled the Prince, and Rumple feared that he had said too much. For her own safety, few were even supposed to know of Belle's existence.

"What?" asked Charming, confused as ever.

"Nothing…. Take me to wherever you have planned," said Rumple, slightly moving his arms, as the ink's spell began to wear off.

Grumpy the dwarf tied Rumple's wrists securely with a rope. By now the magic had worn off and Rumple was able to bend, only to be shoved into a cage by Charming and Grumpy. Rumple landed against the bars; in this large cage, on his way to complete isolation, all he could do was think about Belle and long for her arms around him on cold nights like these. How worried she must be for him, and yet he was deceiving her. It tore his heart apart knowing how upset she would be, but this was written in time long before he was born; he knew it must be this way to get to Bae. It was the only way. He closed his eyes and pictured her looking back at him as they lie in bed after passionate love making. The way she smelled, her eyes bright, her smile wide, and her chest heaving up and down as she tried to catch her breath along with him. Those were the best times, the moments that made him live for her, to not crawl into isolation and slowly wither away. It was her image that would give him comfort in the prison he will inhabit in the next few days.

"We have some questions for you, Dark One. About Regina's curse," said Grumpy.

"I have nothing to say to you, Dwarf."

"Oh, but you will. You will answer our questions, or we will burn your castle to the ground and everything in it," said Charming.

Rumple snapped and lurched forward. Charming and Grumpy instantly backed away as Rumple stuck his hand through the bars, trying to grip anything he could reach on them; a limb, a cloak, anything.

"If you light a single match, with the intention of burning down my home, I will destroy you…. All of you. Until there is nothing left, but your ashes."

"I can see that castle means more to you than anything. You'll have no problem answering our questions then."

Oh, but it wasn't the castle he was worried about, he could recreate the castle anywhere at anytime he wanted.

"What did you do?" Rumple looked up to see Cinderella storming towards them with her husbands sash gripped tightly in her hand.

"Ella what's wrong?" asked Charming.

"Your highness, what is it?" asked Grumpy.

She came all the way up to the bars. Rumple was sure, if she could, she would have lept in there with him.

"What did you do to my Thomas?!" the pain in her voice made Rumple smile, it was only fair that magic would take it's price, after all, she tried to go back on her deal and double cross him for her own selfish gain. IN his mind, she deserved it all.

"I have no idea, dearie… But, I did warn you. All magic comes with a price. And it looks like someone just paid."

Rumple watched with delight at the hopelessness in her eyes, knowing that nothing could be done to save her true love.

"Don't listen to him, we'll find Thomas," said Charming, but he was as foolish as the rest of the royals that inhabited the Enchanted Forest. They all thought they were entitled because they were royals, they thought they truly ran things. No; magic is the true master of destinies in this world, and young Prince Thomas has met his.

"No you won't. Until that debt is paid, until that baby is mine… you're never going to see him again. And you will lose and lose until then."

Charming pulled Cinderella away from the cage, as she began to break down in tears.

"In this world or the next, Cinderella! I will have that baby!" he yelled after her and smiled as they took her away.

"Get him out of here!" Charming called to the driver. Rumple felt a shift and leaned back as he rode away in the cage; the last thing the saw as they disappeared into forest was Cinderella's tear filled eyes staring at him, and Rumple then realized that he hated himself more than anyone ever could.

A few hours later, they came to halt in front of Snow White and Prince Charming's castle. Rumple hadn't realized how tired he was until he could only sit in silence in this cage as it bounced along the dirt road.

"WAKE UP!" said a guard, as he jabbed Rumple with the blunt end of his spear.

Rumple's eyes shot open, and he looked around, realizing where he was. He smiled, not at where he was, but where he was going to end up from here.

"PRISONER, MOVE!" shouted the guard.

Rumple smirked at the brawny man, not in the least bit intimidated. He climbed out of the cage, his hands still tied; the guard took him by the arm and yanked him into the back stairwell leading down into the dungeons. Three guards escorted him down to the dungeons; one in the front, two in the back. He couldn't help, but feel flattered that he was being taken so seriously; that was his arrogance. They descended the staircase for, what seemed like, hours; down, down they went into the caverns below the castle. He saw a light ahead of them, moving closer, he could barely make out a wooden door with metal trim. As they moved closer, he noticed the huge lock on the door. He knew these fools couldn't see it, but the lock was coated with a blue aurora that surrounded it like glistening water in the sun light. He recognized that magic all to well; the Blue Fairy made this lock, and he imagined that she made it specifically for him. Rumple couldn't help but laugh at their foolishness. They were so happy that they had finally caught the Dark One and they were so convinced that they had him trapped for good. Rumple knew he could break out with ease anytime he wanted; he could escape right now and no one would stop him, but he was having the last laugh knowing that he was about to get everything he wanted. The guard in front of him opened the door; a loud slow creak followed it and Rumple was shoved through by the guard behind him. His cell was directly ahead, and it was very menacing looking to say the least. A dark damp place with spikes for bars, and yet he felt right at home; it was cage for a monster. The two guards behind him took him by the collar and pushed him inside. Rumple landed on the ground with a thud and watched the guards leave, as they laughed all the way up the stairs. Rumple looked up through the window at the moon. It was a full one tonight and it was as bright as he had ever seen it. He thought of Belle; he wondered what she might be feeling right now, was she worried out of her mind or angry about his plans? Either way he knew he was causing her pain and he hated himself for it. He wanted Belle, he wanted her love, but he could never understand why it existed in the first place. He can't live without her, but deep down he knew that she would see his true nature, the monster and then it would be over. He heard a clang echo through the stone walls, followed by a long creak of a door, then came footsteps. Rumple perked up, he had only just gotten to his cell and he had visitors already? Rumple squinted, trying to make out the hooded figures walking towards him. One was the guard that had thrown them in the cell, but the other two….. the other two were unmistakable. No one can hide the stench of royalty from him. He leaped up and grabbed the bars. He hung there, as they approached. It was only then that he looked at his hands, and noticed that he had not turned back to his human form, and perhaps for now it was best. He needed them to see him as the beast.

"Rumplestiltskin! I have a question for you!" said the torch wielding guard.

"No you don't." He hopped down from the cell bars. "They do…. Snow White and Prince Charming," he said with a high pitched giggle. "You insult me. Step into the light and take off those ridiculous robes." They did as he instructed, which excited him. Snow White's robes fell back ever so slightly to reveal her pregnant belly. "Ahhhhhhhh much better." They were still afraid even though he was behind bars, as they should be; the last thing he needed was his captors getting cocky because he chose to be confined.

"We've come to ask you-"

"YES! YES! I know why you're here." Rumple had snapped so loud and fast that it made the both of them jump. "You want to know about the Queen's threat."

"Tel us what you know!" Snow White snapped at him, and he couldn't help but play with her feeble attempts to antagonize him. They always forget…. He's the one in control.

"Ooooo tense are we? Fear not, for I can ease your mind, but it's going to cost you something in return."

"We should go, it's just a waste of time," said Charming, but that wasn't going to stop Snow White, for she was more desperate now, than Rumple had ever seen her.

"What do you want?" she asked moving closer to the bars.

"The name of your unborn child."

"Absolutely not-"

"Deal," said Snow, cutting Charming off. "What do you know?"

"The Queen has created a powerful curse…" That wasn't true, he had created the curse, but for now the focus was on Regina and he thought it best to make it stay that way until the opportunity presented itself for the truth to be revealed. "Soon you'll be in a prison, just like me only worse…. You're prison, all of our prisons, will be time. Time will stop, and we will be trapped. Some place horrible where everything we love, everything we hold dear will be ripped from us, as we suffer for all eternity, while the Queen celebrates VICTORIOUS AT LAST!" Rumple leaned in closer, "no more happy endings."

"What can we do?" she asked, stunned.

"We can't so anything!"

"Who can?"

"That little thing…. Growing inside your belly," said Rumple, as he placed a hand on Snow White's stomach.

Charming took out his sword and smacked Rumple's hand with blunt side of it. Rumple recoiled and rubbed his hand, while staring menacingly at Charming.

"Next time I cut it off," he said.

"The infant is our only hope. Get the child to safety and on its 28th birthday… the child will return. The child will find you. I have foreseen this. And when the child finds you…. The final battle will begin." Rumple burst out with excited laughter.

"We've heard enough, we're leaving," said Charming as he pulled her away.

Rumple watched them walk away, and the anger inside him quickly boiled over. He couldn't take it; they were breaking their deal with him. "HEY, HEY WE HAD A DEAL! I WANT HER NAME! WE MADE A DEAL! I NEED HER NAME! I MUST HAVE THAT NAME!"

Rumple's fury was uncontrollable and he began to move rapidly at superhuman speed around the cell. Screaming and pounding on the walls. The betrayal, he couldn't take it; he could never take it.

"It's a boy," said Charming before turning away and walking further down the damp dark hallway, but Snow White remained frozen in place.

"Missy….. Missy, you know I'm right. Now tell me… What's her name?" Rumple asked calmly.

Snow closed her eyes, knowing that she made a deal, and holding up her end was the right thing to do. She slowly turned around and looked him in the eye. "Emma… Her name is Emma." She turned and left with Charming and the guard.

"Emma….." he whispered, smiling to himself. The name he would never forget.

A few hours later, Rumple sat alone in the blackness of the cell. Drops of water hit his face. He wiped the water away and quickly climbed the wall to look out of the window at the very top. The moon was still full and bright. Seeing Snow White's pregnant belly brought back some of the pain he had tried to bury from Belle's failed pregnancy. He felt a pulling at his heart even thinking about Belle. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help it. It was her memory that gave him the courage to crossover and find his boy. Bae; he was finally going to find Bae, and he couldn't wait. He smiled warmly at the thought, but stopped when he was beginning to feel another pull, but not from his heart, from his center. He looked at his hands, which were beginning to turn normal. The beast was melting away. Rumple suddenly shivered and felt burning twinge in his chest. He felt the pull no longer, and looked at his hands; he was back to his beastly self, as his sparkling skin shimmered in the moonlight. He sighed: he knew the energy signature he was feeling anywhere.

"Come to see me, Regina? This is expected. Have you enacted the curse yet?" asked, Rumple as Regina stepped out from the shadows. "I'm guessing you had a hand in my capture."

"No. As much as I wish I had… Although, I heard that you were taken down pretty easily. If you used the power in your pinky finger it still would have been more than enough to escape, which can only mean that you wanted to be. Why?" asked Regina, as she stepped closer to the bars.

"That's my business… and you never answered my question. Did you enact the curse?"

"No, I've tried, but it's missing something. It's not working," she said as she began to pace back and forth in front of him.

"Hmmmmmm….. so worried…. So, so worried. Just like Snow White and her lovely new husband. They paid me a visit as well."

"What did they want?" asked Regina, stunned.

"Oh they were very anxious to know about you and the curse."

"Well…. What did you tell them?"

"The truth…. THAT NOTHING CAN STOP THE DARKNESS!" Rumple moved closer to the bars. "Except perhaps, their unborn child. You see no matter how powerful all curses can be broken. Their child is the key."

"Tell me what I did wrong?" asked Regina with controlled desperation in her voice.

"Well... Did you add the final ingredient?"

Regina stopped in her tracks and snapped her head around to look him dead in the eyes. "What?" She muttered the anger and impatience he had come to know so well flaring up in her eyes.

"A heart, dearie. Did you add the heart?" He asked again.

"What are you talking about and why wasn't I told this earlier?"

"I'll tell you….. but not for free."

Regina rolled her eyes..

"Of course not….. what do you want?" asked Regina with her hands resting on her hips.

"In this new land I want comfort. I want a decent life."

"Is that all?"

"Belle….."

Regina stepped back and rolled her eyes again.

"What about her?"

"I want her with me. And you will not harm her, Regina. Or the savior will be the very least of your problems."

"Fine. Anything else?" Rumple chuckled; he could see she was getting impatient.

"Just one last thing. While we're in this land, if I should come to you for any reason, you must head my every request, you have to do what ever I say, as long as I say….. please." he laughed in a hoarse whisper. Rumple was getting playful with her, only because he knew it was annoying her, but hey, he had to have a little fun as well.

"You do know that if I succeed you won't remember any of this?"

"Oh then….. what's the harm?" asked Rumple cocking his head playfully to the side.

"Fine. Consider it done. Now tell me. Why can't I make it work?" asked Regina, as she moved closer to the bars.

"The final ingredient is a heart."

"I'll sacrifice my prize steed," said Regina without a second thought.

Rumple leaped across the otherwise empty cell and grabbed Regina's face in his hand. She was startled, he could tell, but he thinks he even startled himself how quickly insulted he was.

"A horse?! This is the curse to end all curses and you think a horse is gonna do it?!"

"Regina looked calmly into his eyes; she did not fight him. "What must I do?"

"You must sacrifice something more… precious. The heart of the thing you love most."

"That was taken from me by Snow White. Why do you think I'm casting the curse in the first place?"

"Then stop wasting everyone's time. You know what you love, Regina. I know you do. Now…. Go kill it." He let Regina go, and she disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving him alone in the dark dungeon once again.

Belle looked over at the ticking clock next to her in the library; it read 6:00. The whole day had gone by and Rumple still hadn't returned. If he was going to be out this late he usually sent a dove tell her not to worry, but this time nothing. She placed the book on the table and hurried down the stares. She opened the door; it was pouring rain outside and the claps of thunder made the whole realm shake to its core.

"FLYNN! FLYNN! I NEED YOU!" A gust of wind nearly knocked her off her feet. She closed the door, then opened it again just as quickly.

"FLYNN!"

Nothing; she seemed to be calling to the air rather than a human being. A gust of wind hit her again, followed by a booming thunder clap. She retreated into the castle with her back turned and her hair jostled everywhere, as she hugged her chest firmly to keep warm. She turned around again, and almost jumped out of her skin to see Flynn standing there, soak and wet. He removed hi hood and stepped inside.

"Belle," he said, almost in a whisper.

"Oh Flynn…." She ran into his arms and wrapped her arms tightly around his broad neck. Flynn held her close for a few moments than, held her at arms length.

"What is it? You're shivering."

"It's Rumple. I think something terrible has happened to him. We have to find him," said Belle with panic in her voice.

"Alright, Belle. I'm sure he's alright. Now…. When was the last time you saw him?" he asked, as he took his cloak off and draped it over his arm.

"Last night. He said he was going to take care of some business, but her hasn't been back at all….. I can feel it, Flynn. I know he's been captured. Please, Flynn…"

"Alright, settle down, sister. I'll sort it. Give me a moment," said Flynn before stepping a few feet away from her.

Belle watched silently, as he closed his eyes and tilted his head upward. Her eyes widened; a bright blue line stretched across Flynn's forehead, then it grew wider and wider to form the shape of an eye.

"Flynn….. what's going on?" she asked.

"Ssshhhhh… I'm searching for him." He stood there for several moments. Belle studied him intensely; he did not move except for his eyebrows, which furrowed like he was seeing something incredibly disturbing. The silence was nerve racking and Belle could hardly contain herself. The storm continued to roar outside, and the lightning flashes illuminated the dimly lit room. Flynn's eyes suddenly flew open and his head snapped back further, as if he had just woken up from an intense dream.

"What is it? Did you find him?" asked Belle frantically.

"I'm not certain, but I think it's safe to say that he is somewhere in the south. My sight was blocked there. Someone doesn't want him found, and I know who that someone is. I recognize that magical signature anywhere."

"Well, who is it?"

"The Blue Fairy," said Flynn with a stern look.''

"Well, whoever it is, we have to get him back. He could be in pain. He could be suffering."

"I doubt it," said Flynn.

Belle stopped in her tracks, and looked at him with a mix of horror and curiosity.

"He's your brother. Aren't you worried about him?"

"Think about it, Belle. It's Rumple. You honestly think anyone could capture him as powerful and cunning as he is? No. He let himself get caught."

"Why would he do that?" asked Belle. She was confused as ever, and the more Flynn spoke, the more confused she got.

Flynn opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. She knew he was hiding something. And she didn't want to believe it, but she could only come to the conclusion that Rumple was up to no good again.

"Flynn…. What's going on?" asked Belle.

Flynn looked out the window at the raging storm. Belle walked up to him until she was inches from his face.

"Look at me, Flynn."

He did, and in that moment Flynn knew he could not keep the truth from her any longer. She would find out soon anyway. Though he had hoped that Rumple would have just told her himself.

"It must have something to do with the curse," said Flynn.

"Curse? What curse?" asked Belle.


	14. The Dark Curse

Belle stood there, waiting for Flynn to answer her, but he wouldn't even look at her. His gaze was fixed on something on the far wall.

"Flynn….. What curse?" she asked again, a bit more sternly.

"The Dark Curse. Rumple has been making this curse for centuries. He has given it to Regina, and she plans to cast it as soon as possible."

"What exactly does the curse do?"

"It takes the people of this realm and whisks them away to another world. In this case, a land without magic, but that's not the worse part….. no one but Regina will have happy endings. Everything that we know and love will be ripped from us until the curse is broken."

Belle slowly sat down in the chair at the end of the dining table. This was too much to bare. Rumple had promised on their wedding day that evil would not drive his actions anymore. She was weak to not see it. That's what kept him out late at night, that had to have been why he wasn't there when Hook attacked her. If he had not been scheming to cast the curse he could have protected her. Their son's death was on his hands. Belle buried her face in her hands and violently knocked over the candle next to her. She was too angry, Rumple could rot wherever he was; he deserved it. She quickly stood up and stormed out of the room with Flynn on her heels.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to prepare myself for the curse," said Belle as she made her way up the grand staircase.

"What about Rumple?"

"What about him? He did this. This is his mess. He can deal with him. Let him rot." Belle turned and jogged up the rest of the stairs.

"HEY!" yelled Flynn. Belle stopped and turned to look down at him, mostly out of fear, the tone in his voice was a mix of anger and desperation. "Did you even bother to ask why he's doing what he's doing? It's not just because he's evil. You of all people should know that."

"Does it matter?" asked Belle with an attitude.

"Yes. In this case it does…. Baelfire."

"Rumple's son?"

"Your step son. Bae is currently residing in this land without magic. This was the only way Rumple could get to him."

Belle looked away, as she felt the sinking feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach. Her earlier rationalization seemed very foolish and idiotic indeed. "Why didn't he just tell me? I wanted to help him find his son."

"Why the bloody hell do you think? He knew you would try to stop him. He knew deep down it was the only way. To create this curse and prey on Regina's hatred for all of those who are happy while she isn't. We'll see in due time whether or not Rumple made the right choice, but for now, he is family and while you are part of this family you, like everyone else, will not abandon each other. We always protect one another no matter what the cost. Now, if we leave now we can find him before the curse hits."

Belle looked at him, then focused on spot on the floor. Flynn could see the waves of sadness in her eyes.

"Come here, Belle," he said with an outstretched hand. Belle slowly descended and took his hand when she reached the bottom. "I know you're upset, but know that Rumple was torn up about having to deceive you."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" asked Belle looking at his chest rather than his eyes.

"No…" he took her chin in his hand and raised her head up to look at him in the eyes. "It's supposed to give you a better understanding….. If you don't want to find him that's your choice, but I'm going to at least make sure he's ok." Flynn turned to walk away, but Belle quickly grabbed his wrist. Flynn snapped his head around to look at her, then glanced at her hand gripping his wrist so tight, her knuckles were turning white, though it didn't seem to bother him.

Belle stood there a few moments longer in uncomfortable silence. Thoughts raced through her head, as she tried to answer the question; "should I stay or should I go?" She calculated the risks, the outcomes, everything. Her mind was telling her no, that all logic would tell her to stay where she was, leave Rumple alone, be safe from the curse within these walls, but her heart was still devoted to Rumple, and she knew she had to go see him. She hated him for what he was doing to the innocent people of the realm, but a little part inside her admired the undying love for Baelfire. "Very well," she whispered, "I will go with you."

'Excellent. Go change and grab what you need. I'll meet you outside with Sir Maximus," said Flynn. He pulled the hood on his cloak up over his head and walked out the door. The storm had calmed down a bit, but it was still pouring buckets of rain. Belle ran upstairs as fast her heels could carry her. She entered the bedchamber and pulled out a large chest from under her reading table. Inside, was the outfit Flynn had given her when she was banished from the castle. It seemed like it was so long ago, though she remembered it like it was yesterday. She stripped down and put the outfit on. She faced the mirror; gazing at herself, she felt a hint of heroic pride in the way she looked as she tightened her belt and placed her hands on her hips. She posed playfully for a bit, then laughed. She reached down and took her pack filled with survival books along with her dagger. She threw it over her shoulder and pulled her hood over her head. She took one more look in the mirror, then took a minute to look around the room. This would be the last time she saw the place she called home for many years. She may never see it again. She spotted the book Rumple had given her so long ago; his first gift to her. She dusted the book off, then slipped it into her bag. She took one final look around the room, then stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Outside Flynn was standing at the end of the courtyard. He was tightening the saddle on Sir Maximus and checking inside each saddlebag to make sure he had everything he needed. The full moon shined high above them, illuminating the courtyard in a beautiful soft white glow. Max neighed happily at the sight of Belle approaching them. Flynn took one arm and rested it on Max's back in a sort of cocky lean with a sly smile.

"Well don't you look ready for a fight," he teased in his own big brother way. He reached into one of the saddlebags and pulled out a cantine, then handed it to Belle. "Here. I took the liberty of filling these up at the well in the garden. That's yours for keeps. If we're to survive the night's ride, we must stay hydrated. Fill the cantine again when we stop."

"Got it," said Belle before taking a big gulp of water.

Flynn climbed onto Max's back, then held out his hand to help Belle on. She placed the cantine in her bag, and climbed on behind him.

"Let's go," said Belle.

Flynn whirled his horse around and galloped out of the courtyard and into the forest. Belle turned around to look at the Dark Castle one more time before disappeared in the tree branches that now blocked her view.

Regina stormed through her castle with a determined stride; her feathered cape flowing behind her. She could hear her mirror call her name as she went, appearing in each different mirror she passed.

"What happened? Did you get your answer? Your majesty? YOUR MAJESTY?!"

She ignored his desperate plea for an answer. She stormed into her bedroom; her father was lighting a few candles for her, which she loved when he did that. He turned around, shaking in fear like he always did.

"Did Rumplestiltskin tell you what you needed to know?" he asked.

"Yes," she said walking right past him.

"And?"

She stopped, but did not face him. She knew what she had to do, and looking at him was getting more and more painful. "I'm not sure I should say. I'm conflicted," she muttered. She crossed the room, and stopped in front of the roaring fireplace.

"How bad is it? Maybe I can help you," said Henry in his usual fatherly way.

"I have to cut out the heart of the thing I love most."

"Me."

Regina closed her eyes to fight the tears. She turned to look at him, his face unsure and eyes filled with hurt.

"Daddy, I don't know what to do," she said.

"My dear…please….you don't have to do this."

"I have to do something," said Regina moving past him.

"You can move past this. I know this may sound self serving, but you don't need to enact the curse."

"But I can't keep living like this. What Snow did to me, what she took from me….. it's eating me alive, Daddy. Her very existence mocks me. She must be punished." Regina walked back over to the fireplace; she stopped and put her hand on the daybed.

"But if the curse is a hole that will never be filled…..why do it?" asked Henry. "Stop worrying about Snow White, and start over. We can have a new life."

Regina could hear the desperation in her father's voice. She could almost see this new life he spoke of, but that was just the thing, she couldn't imagine a life without Daniel, and Snow White took that away from her. "But what kind of life? All I've worked for, all I've built will be gone. Washed away as if I were never here. All my power will disappear. They already think I'm nothing."

"Power is seductive, but so is love. You can have that again. You have it in me," said Henry with heartfelt eyes.

Regina wished she could believe him, she wished she had the same confidence he did, but all she could do was hug him, and he warmly wrapped his arms around her.

"I just want to be happy," she said as the tears began to fall.

"You can be. Of this I'm sure. I believe, that given the chance, we can find happiness. Together… But the choice is yours."

Regina closed her eyes, and shed a few more tears before pulling away from him. She had decided; she knew what she had to do.

"I think you're right. I can be happy," she said with a warm smile. Henry looked positively warm and fuzzy. The pride oozing from him was palpable. Regina looked into her father's proud eyes one last time, then made her choice. "Just not here." And with those last words she plunged her hand into his chest, and ripped his heart out. Henry looked at her as he fell, and all she saw was the look of utter betrayal in his eyes. She had to look away; his body went limp and fell to the floor with a loud thud. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered, as one more tear fell for her fallen father and the last person in her life she ever truly loved. She gently clutched the beating organ in her hand and vanished in a cloud of black smoke to the place where the curse would be cast.

Belle's eyes fluttered open; she immediately closed them due to the bright light of the sun. They had been riding all night, and Belle had no idea where they were as she lifted her head. They weren't galloping anymore. Flynn must have slowed Maximus down to a trot after she had fallen asleep so that she wouldn't fall off. Belle pushed herself upright and stretched. Flynn turned around and flashed a warm smile.

"You're awake. Good. Now we can break camp," he said.

Wait. Will that slow us down?" asked Belle worried about their limited time.

Flynn shook his head, as he pulled on the reigns, forcing Maximus to stop in his tracks. "No. This is where my sight was interrupted. Rumple can't be too far. He helped Belle off, then dismounted himself. Belle looked around; they were in a small clearing surrounded my tall trees, lush bushes, and a small stream that led into a pond a few feet away. Flynn unscrewed the lid from his cantina and gulped down his remaining water. He then walked over to the pond and dipped his cantina in, then took another gulp.

"Fill up your cantina here," he said.

"In the pond? You can get sick in that water," said Belle, as she turned her nose in the air and folded her arms across her chest.

Flynn let out a hardy laugh. Belle became slightly offended by the humorous gesture. She wasn't sure what exactly he found so amusing.

"It's not a pond, silly. It's a spring. One of the seven pure springs in Mist Haven. The water from this spring is the purest of the pure."

Belle took her own cantina a slowly walked over, still unsure of the Flynn's claims, who was grinning at her from ear to ear, silently laughing at her hesitancy. She imagined he thought her fear was cute. She took the cantina and scooped some water from the spring, which overflowed and poured back out.

"Right, so I'll set up camp, while you go gather some firewood, and get this fire going."

"Ok," said Belle, who was still anxious to continue her journey. She turned and walked deeper in the forest, stopped and turned around. Flynn looked up at her; Belle stood there in silence for a few minutes, then turned again to walk away.

"What?" asked Flynn, irritated at Belle's hesitancy.

"I'm sorry, this is your brother we're talking about. The one you risked life and limb for. He's in trouble; he could be in pain, or worse dying, and you want us to camp here?"

"I'm sorry, weren't you mad at him a few hours ago?"

"That doesn't mean I want him to die or be in pain," said Belle, her voice getting louder.

"He's fine for now. Most likely in a prison somewhere."

"How do you know?" asked Belle, as she stormed up to him. Flynn jumped to his feet and stood his ground. Despite being shorter than the average man, Flynn still stood tall over her, and Belle was beginning to regret stepping up to him.

"Because I would have felt it. We both need our rest, Belle. Patience is the sign of every good warrior. You must have it to survive. Now… Please go get the firewood. I'm hungry," he grumbled.

Belle turned in a huff and walked into the deeper part of the woods, picking up sticks as she went.

About five minutes later, Belle had her arms full of sticks and branches, so much so that they were falling out of her arms by the dozen. She stopped to pick up a few, while holding the ones she already had tightly. She returned to camp, and Belle dropped her sticks in the center, where Flynn had formed a small circle of rocks for the fireplace. Belle looked around, amazed at what Flynn had done in just five minutes. There were three logs forming a semi circle on one side of the fireplace, on the other side was a rather large tent, with their individual packs sticking out of the flap. Belle looked around; there was no Flynn in sight."

"Flynn! Flynn!" she called, but there was no answer.

She walked over to the edge of the clearing, squinting as hard as she could though the branches and bushes, and hoping that this wasn't one of his harmless pranks. She though back to what almost happened the last time she traveled alone, and her heart began to race with fear."

"Flynn!" she called out again, with a slight squeak in her voice. "FLYNN!" she called even louder.

"What, woman?" Belle turned around and breathed a sigh of relief as Flynn was walking towards her with two dead fish in one hand and a small axe in the other. He was dripping wet, his shirt and vest were draped over his arm.

"I thought something had happened to you," said Belle. Flynn stopped; he put his clothes down on the log, along with the two fish. He looked at Belle with a mixture of sadness and understanding. He was initially annoyed that she had been calling him like a lost maniac, but then clearly felt bad for nearly scolding her. He scratched his head and put his hands on his hips, slightly flexing his muscles. "I'm glad you're alright." Flynn studied her then pulled his shirt over his head.

"Wait here," he said. Belle did as she was told; she watched him walk over to his pack and rummage through it. He pulled out an object wrapped in a fine cloth. He made way his way back to her, while unwrapping the object carefully so that he would not damage the cloth. Belle looked at not one, but two objects, a cutlass and a small axe; beautifully hand crafted with the cleanest metal she had ever seen. "These are for you," he said handing them to her along with the cloth.

"For me?" Belle was slightly confused. It was a beautiful gift, but she had no clue how to use these weapons, or even fight for that matter.

"I made them myself," said Flynn.

"You made these? They're so beautiful… but I can't use these, Flynn. I don't even know how to fight."

"Exactly," he said. This answer caught Belle off guard, she looked up, and quickly found out what he meant. With lightning speed, Flynn whipped out one of his swords, and swung down at Belle as hard as he could. Belle instinctively grabbed the axe and blocked the blow. They stood there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. Belle was shaking from the impact of Flynn's blow and his increasing strength forcing her down. Belle dropped to one knee, as she tried to hold her own against Flynn's strength, grabbing the hilt of the axe with both hands, and pushing against him with all her might, but Flynn wasn't budging. She had dropped her cutlass on the ground."Your determination is impressive, but lesson number one, never drop your guard or your weapon," he said, and with equal speed he whipped out his other sword and slashed at her. Belle's axe was still hooked on Flynn's sword. She just barely managed to dodge the swing. She leapt backwards, and did a half backwards role, then stood up. Flynn had the axe in his firm grip, staring at it, and twisting it around as if he were inspecting it. He twirled it around in his hand a few times then handed it back to her by the hilt. Belle looked at him then carefully took the axe back. Flynn's attacks had come so fast, that she was just now noticing how light the axe, was, but it was so strong, there were not cracks in the metal at all.

"This is the best craftsmanship I've ever seen," she said, twirling the axe in her hand.

Flynn blushed and gently rubbed his neck; he chuckled, and Belle soon joined in his laughter, but it only lasted a few moments. Flynn stopped, and his ears began to twitch. The same way she remembered almost a year ago when he saved her from being taken by Regina. He sniffed the air a few times, then turned to look at the empty road not too far away.

"Come here, GET DOWN," he motioned to her to come over, but nothing was coming; Belle heard nothing, and she began to wonder if Flynn was going crazy. He put his hand on her head and pulled her close until she was snuggled tightly against his body. Belle was about to protest when she heard hooves fast approaching, and the wheels of a carriage racing down the path. Flynn peered over the rocks and saw one carriage being pulled by eight horses followed by a large prison carriage. Inside was a man in tattered clothing; someone he did not recognize, but he was getting a different scent; Rumple's. Flynn figured Rumple must have been taken in the carriage; he looked over at the emblem on the side of the passenger carriage, the same emblem plastered on the guards' uniforms. He recognized it to be that of the White Kingdom; ruled by Snow White and her followers. Flynn waited for them to pass by, then he let Belle go. She stood up to look at the company disappearing into the trees.

"What was that?" she asked.

"A break through," said Flynn.

"What do you mean?"

"I know where Rumple is being held. Snow White and Prince Charming's castle. He must be in the dungeons. Flynn walked over to his tent and took a large plank out of his sack. He placed on the ground, then pulled out a large scroll. Belle watched him curiously as he unraveled it and pinned it down with rocks from the ground.

"Fascinating. But, I thought Snow White and Prince Charming were good people, why would they arrest Rumple?" Belle walked over and gazed at the scroll, which was, what appeared to be, a blueprint of, what she could only assume, was Snow White and Prince Charming's castle.

"Unless it was to make sure he didn't hurt anyone else. Or Rumple could have instigated the situation."

"Why would he do that?" asked Belle, fearing the answer.

"To make sure he was sucked in by the curse." Said Flynn.

"And what about me? A curse that could make us forget each other for the universe knows how long, and he wants to spend it alone? Am I nothing to him?" Belle was clearly hurt, and the desperation in her voice only showed Flynn how insecure she was. He knew his brother too well; he could be cruel, arrogant, and untrusting, but with Belle he was different, even before the curse. He was confident in thinking that he would never intentionally hurt Belle. He loved her too much for that.

"Look, Belle….. my brother is a lot of things. I know. I've watched first hand the horrible beast he's become, but with you I see a glimpse of the man I knew so many years ago. He loves you dearly, and I am very certain in saying that I think he would go as far as to die for you. Whatever this is, whatever he's thinking, I know that his intention is not to hurt you or imply that he doesn't care. I know it hurts that he didn't tell you. Believe me, I've caused my share of hurt to people I care about as well for that very same reason. …. The Siltskin brothers are just pig headed sometimes."

Belle chuckled a little. His words did make her feel better, and she realized she was jumping to the worst conclusions, but that didn't help her desperate need for the truth. "So why did he withhold from me?" she asked.

"You can ask him yourself. Now that we have a location, we can get to him by dawn, but for now… rest. You need to clear your mind. And so do I," he said, wrapping up Belle's axe in the cloth and wetting it down before unloosening his belt and placing his swords against the log.

He moved to the center of the clearing and sat Indian style on the cold ground. He rested his hands on his knees and closed his eyes. Belle studied him for a few moments, then decided to join him. She didn't know what he was doing, but he looked completely at peace.

"What is this?" she asked. He did not answer, only continued his soft breathing. Belle crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees, then closed her eyes. She felt nothing; only how ridiculous this exercise seemed to be.

"Clear your mind," he said softly.

"This is silly," she whispered.

"Shhhhhh…. Close your eyes and clear your mind."

"Ok." Belle did as she was told and sat there staring into blackness. "Now what?"

"Clear your mind until you feel weightless, until you don't even feel the ground beneath you. By dong this, you are creating a psychological bubble around you. This will help you maintain focus and tranquility. Maybe even understanding," he said.

Belle's eyes shot open, "Understanding? What do you mean?"

"You have a natural gift of sight Belle, you can tell the type of person they are just by looking at them. This meditation technique will allow you to focus the gift, and harness the power it gives you. Now, again, close you eyes and clear your mind. If this works and you do this right, you will no longer have questions; you will already know."

Belle nodded and mimicked Flynn in his sitting position; eyes closed, she emptied her mind. It was a strange feeling, and Belle couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous it felt. Her attitude suddenly changed when she felt the pull at her very center that plagued her ever since Rumple went missing leave her body and loosen its' grip on her heart.

"Feel that, Belle? Now you are at peace," said Flynn.

Belle couldn't believe how calm she was; she suddenly felt like she could take on the world. Nothing scared her. She took another deep breath, and exhaled.

On the cliffs, high above mountains and trees, Regina emerged from the darkness. She waved her hand and lit a fire. The cauldron was there; ready for the final ingredient. Regina removed her father's heart from the velvet tote bag she placed it in. She kissed the heart, and threw into the boiling cauldron. Sparks erupted from the stew of multi colors, the cauldron began to bubble over, then a thick black fog began to ooze from the cauldron and drift over the cliff. Regina watched with an evil smile on her face, as she watched the black smoke flow through the enchanted forest, tearing apart everything in its wake.

Belle opened her eyes just as a huge gust of wind nearly knocked them both over. Flynn jumped to his feet and ran west through the trees; Belle followed, and was nearly trampled by a stampede of various animals running in the opposite direction; they were all scared of something. Flynn stopped at the cliff over looking the Infinite Forest. Way in the distance a black cloud was hurdling towards them.

"Flynn, what is it?" asked Belle, joining him on the edge of the cliff.

He took out a spyglass, and watched the green flashed of light within the black smoke, and that can only mean one thing….. magic. Regina had cast her curse, and judging by the speed of the cloud, they only had an hour before they were engulfed and transported to another realm.

"Regina's curse. She must have cast it. We have a little time. We must get to Rumple."

Belle nodded and quickly followed Flynn back to the camp. They didn't bother packing up; they weren't going to see the stuff again anyway. They climbed on to Maximus and sped off down the road.

Flynn snapped the reigns over and over, spurring Max on, Belle watched Snow White's castle come into view. Flynn snapped the reigns one last time, and veered Max down a trail, leading to the lake's shore.

"Where are you going?" asked Belle.

"Rumple is in the dungeons, we don't have time to go through the castle."

He stopped Sir Maximus at the shore; Belle hopped off, followed by Flynn.

"So what now?" she asked.

Flynn pulled out his spyglass and peered through it, then handed it to Belle. "See that door directly across?" Belle looked through the spyglass at the old wooden door at the bottom of the tower.

"It's got a lock on it," said Belle, as she handed the spyglass back to Flynn.

"Yes, but it's rusted. Breaking it should be easy."

"So how do we get across?' asked Belle again.

"We swim, of course," said Flynn nonchalantly.

"Swim? We'll never make it in time."

"A rowboat will be slower. The current is too strong with the curse coming. It's effecting the whole environment."

"But-"

"No time to argue, Belle. We must go," he said, as he nudged Belle forward. Belle stopped and looked at the raging cloud of magic move closer and closer. She looked at Flynn, who was whispering something to Maximus. She watched him step back and nod at the white horse, who reared on its hind legs and spur off.

"GOODBYE, SIR MAXIMUS! IT WAS A PLEASURE!" yelled Belle, while waving goodbye.

"GOODBYE, MY LADY! AND GOODLUCK!" shouted the speeding horse.

"Let's go", said Flynn, who moved past her.

The further they went into the lake, the deeper they got. They both held their weapons above them to keep them from getting rusted. Flynn seemed ok, the water was up to his neck, but Belle was much shorter than he was, and she was struggling. Flynn turned and grabbed her by the arm to keep her from floating away with the current.

"Hang on," he said. He yanked Belle towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck for support. He grabbed her axes, and held them up with his rapiers.

She clung tightly to him, as he swam as fast and as hard as he could to the river's edge. When they finally reached the shore, Belle climbed down, Flynn immediately headed for the lock. He raised his arm, ready to blast the lock off with magic; suddenly the heard a loud ringing bell coming from the top of the tower. Flynn figured the castle must have spotted the curse. He looked over at the massive cloud, now seemingly, moving faster towards them.

"No time. Let's go." He stepped back, Belle inched away from the door, and turned her head just as a blast of light erupted from Flynn's hand. Belle looked over at the lock on the door now, which was lying in a shriveled heap on the floor. Flynn's swung his hand, and the door opened by itself. He took Belle 's hand and pulled her through the doorway. It was pitch black; to conserve energy and power, Flynn took a torch from the wall, and used it to light the rest of the way. Down, down they went for what seemed like a great distance. Belle felt that they were journeying to the center of the world; the staircase seemed to never end.

Regina's carriage raced to Snow's castle with the curse on their heels. She smiled evilly, as the curse began to ravish the land. It was a glorious site. And now even more; she was on her way back to Rumplestiltskin, she wanted to the last thing he remembered to be her gloating in his face.

Back in his cell, Rumple, now in full Dark One appearance, gripped the bars and peered through at the darkness.

"I'M WAITING!" he shouted, and giggled as black smoke filled the room and materialized into Regina, who had her back to him, while removing her gloves. "What took you so long, dearie?"

"You know what," she said, turning to look at him.

"Oh yes…. The curse….. You did it."

"That's right," she said as she moved closer. "I did it. And I wanted you to know it before you, like all the pathetic denescents of this wretched land, forgets everything." She was so smug, smugger than ever, but Rumple had his own card to play.

"How did it feel?" he asked with a wide grin.

"Watching the curse cloud form? It felt like victory."

Rumple giggled loudly. "No, how did it feel to kill the thing you love most? Rrr-ripping the heart out of your father. How did that feel?"

"It was the price of the curse. How it felt didn't matter. He would've understood…. I took my life back. I had to. I won." she said desperately. Rumple could tell she was trying hard to justify what she did.

"And yet, here you are….. feeling the need to gloat. Ahhhh…. Something's missing isn't it, dearie?"

"Not at all. I have everything I want. Nothing can stop me now."

Rumple couldn't help let out another excited giggle. "Not quite!"

"What does that mean?" asked Regina, stepping back.

"The savior…. Of course," said Rumple flashing his trademark hand flourish. "The child of Snow White and Prince Charming." Regina rolled her eyes and let out a disgusted sigh. "She can stop you…. She can break the curse."

"Well it looks like getting rid of baby just became the top of my to-do list," said Regina nonchalantly.

"Of course it did, but even if you succeed with that… You have an even bigger problem. Now there's a hole….in your heart. And someday….. you will come to me to fill it."

"You greatly overestimate your powers of foresight," said Regina before walking away. She though she had won, but no.

"AND YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE PRICE OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Regina stopped; she looked more annoyed than ever, especially now that Rumple was getting to her once again. "You shall see, you will come to me….. there is more you need, oh," he sang.

"Your taunts will get you nowhere!" she yelled, as she spun around to look at him again. "I know you too well… you want to make another deal. Well, I won't."

"A deal? You've already promised me a good life in this new land. What more could I want from you?"

"Oh to be let out of this cage, to be let out of our last deal… to escape the curse."

Rumple was mildly confused, that his own former student would possibly think that it was that simple.

"Why would I do that, dearie? I'm exactly where I want to be."

Regina looked completely lost, but she didn't say anything. All she did was throw her arms up in the air, and disappear in a cloud of black smoke, leaving Rumple there to flash his famous grin.

"Flynn stopped, and sniffed the air. "We need to move."

Belle didn't ask any questions, only followed his pace, as he ran down the steps. She began to wonder if running would attract more attention, but then Flynn stopped, and told her that curse is getting nearer. They ran down as fast they could, Belle was beginning to lose her breath, but she noticed that Flynn showed no signs of exhaustion and no signs of stopping. Belle wanted to prove to him that she was capable, so she didn't stop. They followed the staircase for what seemed like hours until Belle finally saw the bottom. The door was open; they could hear two guards chatting away. Flynn pressed himself against the left side of the wall; Belle behind him. She watched his ears twitch, as he listened. They heard the running footsteps of another guard.

"THE CURSE! IT'S COMING TOWARDS US! THE PRINCESS HAS GONE INTO LABOR AND THE QUEEN'S SOLDIERS ARE STORMING THE CASTLE! WE MUST PROTECT THEM!" said the newly arrived soldier.

The other two clapped the heals of their boots together and gave a prompt salute. "SIR!" They proceeded to follow the soldier through another door. Flynn quickly moved out from behind the wall, and caught one guard by surprise and knocked him unconscious with the hilt of his sword. The other took a wild swing with his sword, but missed and left himself open for Flynn to jab him in the chest and knock the breath out of his lungs. He lay there wheezing and coughing. Flynn jabbed him in the face with his sword hand and knocked him unconscious with the other guard. Belle peered around the corner to see the higher rank sneaking up behind Flynn. Without thinking, Belle took her axe and aimed straight for the soldier's knees. She threw the axe and knocked him off his feet. Flynn turned around and stomped firmly on his head, knocking him unconscious as well. He picked up Belle's axe and handed it to her.

"Nice work," he said.

Belle gave him a small smile, surprised at her actions. She snatched a ring of keys off the hook and ran down the dimly lit hallway. They stopped at an intersection in the hallway. Flynn sniffed the air, then took a right.

"This way," he said.

Belle followed, they came around the bend, and there in front of them was Rumple, now looking like his human self, sitting on the floor. He squinted in their direction, as if he wasn't sure if it were really them.

"Belle? Flynn?"

"Rumple. It's us," said Belle. She went from key to key until she found a match and unlocked his cell. She ran straight into his arms, but Rumple seemed a little hesitant.

"You shouldn't have come. The curse."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Belle with a hint of desperation in her voice.

"This was the only way. The only solution showed to me through prophecy. This had to come to pass. I needed to get to my son. He's there, Belle. I have to find. He has to know that he has a father who loves him."

"But, at what cost, Rumple? So many people's lives are ruined."

"I did what I thought was best, Belle. I'm sorry it had to come to all of this, but this was the only solution I could see. I have spent centuries waiting for this day. This is my chance to find my boy. I've had several and lost; I'm not going to let this one slip away. I don't care who gets hit in the crossfire. I'm bringing my boy home," he said. Belle was torn; she hated his methods, but she admired his devotion and determination to find Baelfire. "I'm so sorry I kept this from you, Belle, but I felt like I had not other choice."

There was a commotion above them; all three of them looked up to see the ceiling being torn apart by a black cloud filled with flashing green lights. Rumple clutched Belle, and pulled her closer to him.

"Belle! Rumple!" shouted Flynn, as he held onto the edge of the wall. The wind was howling in their ears, whipping their hair and clothes. They looked up at him, squinting from the pressure of the wind. "I must leave you here!" shouted Flynn.

"You're not coming with us?!" asked Belle.

"I can't! I have responsibilities to others. I can't leave with you!"

"But we only just met after a lifetime apart!" said Rumple.

"Don't worry! I will see you both again!" shouted Flynn. He snapped his fingers, blue smoke engulfed him, and when it cleared he was gone.

Rumple clutched Belle even tighter to him, as the curse tore apart the castle and the cell, which he called home for the past week. The whole ground began to quake; he could feel Belle wrap her arms tighter around him. He pushed her chin up to look at him, and she returned his gaze wit pure affection. He kissed her briefly.

"I love you, Rumple!"

"I love you, Belle."

So much noise, so much uncertainty escalated between the two of them, the flashing lights threatened to blind them. Black smoke surrounded them, and after all the thunderous noise, and the tremendous shaking…. Silence.

END


End file.
